Photograph:
SMAN Petrel 24-7997 (c/n SO226) at Rathmines, NSW in October 2014 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
The Netherlands
Description:
Two-seat light sport amphibian
Power Plant:
(Super Petrel)
One 75 kw (100 hp) Rotax 912S four-cylinder, four-stroke, horizontally-opposed liquid-and-air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 8.9 m (29 ft 2 in)
- Length: 5.97 m (19 ft 6 in)
- Height: 2.26 m (7 ft 4 in)
- Wing area: 15 m² (161.46 sq ft)
- Max speed: 185 km/h (115 mph)
- Cruising speed at 75% power: 165 km/h (103 mph)
- Stalling speed: 56 km/h (35 mph)
- Service ceiling: 3,048 m (10,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: 259 m/min (850 ft/min)
- Take-off run [land] 80 m (262 ft); [water]: 120 m (393 ft)
- Landing run [land] 120 m (265 ft); [water]: 100 m (328 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 80 litres (17.6 Imp gals)
- Endurance: 4 hrs 45 mins
- Empty weight: 315 kg (694 lb)
- Useful load: 230 kg (507 lb)
- Loaded weight: 545 kg (1,201 lb)
History:
The Petrel is a two-seat single-engine light sporting amphibian. French engineer, Claude Tisserand, designed and developed in 1983 a small monoplane of wooden construction which was amphibious, known as the Tisserand Hydroplum, this aircraft flying for the first time in November 1986. From this he produced the Petrel which differed in being a biplane with a flying-boat hull and out-rigger floats on the wingtips of the lower wings, which was powered by a 48 kw (65 hp) Rotax 532 engine. The Petrel’s wings were carbon and impregnated epoxy resin fibreglass construction.
In 1988 the Societe Morbihannaise d’Aero Navigation (SMAN) of France obtained the rights to build the design from Mr Tisserand and commenced production of a kit for amateur construction, this being known as the Le Petrel, initial sales being in Europe and the United States. Later Seabird Aviation of Ohio, USA obtained rights to the aircraft for North America and manufactured kits. In 1990 rights to the design were acquired by Andre de Reynier of EDRA Aeronautica of Ipeuna, Brazil and production of the kit continued for some time in South America, more than 135 examples being delivered up to 1996.
Kits have been supplied to Norway, South Africa and throughout the United States. First of the type registered in this region was ZK-JAQ (c/n 029) in New Zealand, and ZK-PCT which when completed was based in Auckland. This latter aircraft was first registered in the Netherlands as PH-2T2, and later became PH-NAT before being exported to New Zealand. The first in Australia became 19-3156 (c/n 18) registered on 7 September 1999; followed by 19-7249 (c/n SO197) registered on 21 September 2009; 19-5405 (c/n SO190) registered on 5 September 1998; 24-9876 (c/n SO268) registered on 7 October 2011; 24-7891 (c/n SO261) registered on 22 June 2011; and 24-7997 (c/n SO226) registered on 10 March 2010. In 2018 a Super Petrel was registered as VH-AJQ (c/n S0196) on 18 October 2018.