Photograph:
Calair CA-22 Skyfox 55-0952 (c/n CA22046) at Temora, NSW in October 1987 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
Australia
Description:
Two-seat light sporting and training monoplane
Power Plant:
(CA-22 Eland)
One 60 kw (80 hp) Rotax 912A four-cylinder horizontally-opposed liquid-and-air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 9.52 m (31 ft 3 in)
- Length: 5.60 m (18 ft 4½ in)
- Length [wings folded]: 6.57 m (21 ft 6½)
- Height: 1.87 m (6 ft 1½)
- Wing area: 11.60 m² (124.9 sq ft)
- Max speed at sea level: 157 km/h (98 mph)
- Max cruising speed at 75% power: 139 km/h (86 mph)
- Economical cruising speed at 70% power: 130 km/h (81 mph)
- Stalling speed: 75 km/h (46 mph)
- Max rate of climb at sea level: 274 m/min (900 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 3,048 m(10,000 ft)
- Take-off run: 122 m (400 ft)
- Landing run: 122 m (400 ft)
- Range: 518 km (322 miles)
- Empty weight: 274 kg (604 lb)
- Loaded weight: 450 kg (992 lb)
History:
The CA-22 was built for ultralight regulations and development of the JAR/VLA variant produced the CA-22A. This became the first Australian-built aircraft to be certified in the Normal Category, but ultralight certification was also available. In 1991 Calair became Skyfox Aviation Ltd, and in 1996 it became a public company, but ceased production in May 1998. The Company, along with the production of aircraft, ran a flying school known as the Skyfox Flying School.
The CA-22 series involved some 180 component changes from the CA-21 and a change was made to the Rotax 912 engine. Further design work continued with adjustments to the fin and aspect ratio, and in December 1992 the tubular metal wing struts were replaced by aerodynamically shaped aluminium struts. It received Australian certification in June 1993 and aircraft built to the European Joint Airworthiness Requirements for Very Light Aircraft became known as the CA-22A and were named the Elan.
Production of the CA-22 and CA-25 continued for some time in parallel until the introduction of the CA-25N Gazelle, which mainly differed in having a tricycle undercarriage and, because of the number of differences, required a new Type Certificate. Accommodation was provided for two side-by-side in an enclosed cabin with an entrance door on each side. Baggage capacity was 10 kg (22 lb).
In the 1990s the aircraft was marketed in three basic versions, the CA-22 Elan, the CA-25 Impala, and the Skyfox CA-25N Gazelle, a new variant with a tricycle undercarriage which is dealt with separately. Some 61 aircraft were constructed, the first becoming 55-0671 (c/n CA-22-001). Seven were exported to the Heritage Flying Company in Bangkok, Thailand and two are known to have been exported to Malaysia.