Photograph:
Dragon Fly 333 N12PR (c/n MXE 1015E06) at Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 2007 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
Italy
Description:
Two-seat light helicopter
Power Plant:
One 82 kw (110 hp) Dragon Fly / Hirth F30A26AK four-cylinder two-stroke horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Main rotor diameter: 6.7 m (21 ft 11¾ in)
- Height: 2.36 m (7 ft 9 in)
- Length: 5.56 m (18 ft 3 in)
- Max speed at sea level: 135 km/h (83 mph)
- Cruising speed at sea level: 130 km/h (81 mph)
- Economical cruising speed: 120 km/h (75 mph)
- Max rate of climb at sea level: 381 m/min (1,250 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 3,050 m (10,000 ft)
- Max range: 310 km (192 miles)
- Empty weight: 260 kg (573 lb)
- Loaded weight: 500 kg (1,102 lb)
History:
The Dragon Fly 333 was designed in 1985 in Italy by two archeologists, Angelo and Alfredo Castiglioni, as a two-seat light helicopter to meet a requirement they had for a survey platform for research work. A single-seat prototype was built and test flown in 1991, which was later re-designed as a two-seater. In all two single-seat and three two-seat prototypes were built. Subsequently a factory was set up and production continued, JAA and FAA certification being obtained in 1997.
A variant known as the Heliot was developed in association with French companies EDT and CAC Systems, this being for RPV operations.
Examples of the Dragon Fly have been delivered to Abu Dhabi, Australia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal and Turkey.
First example registered in this region was ZK-HLD (c/n 012-94) to Dragon Fly Helicopter Sales Ltd of South Auckland.