Photograph:
Rag Wing RW-19 Stork ZK-RWB (c/n RW19) at Loburn Abbey, New Zealand in February 2012 (A Bowman – NZCIVAIR)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Single or two-seat light sport aircraft
Power Plant:
One 75 kw (100 hp) Subaru EA-81 four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 9.75 m (32 ft)
- Length: 6.7 m (22 ft)
- Height: 2.13 m (7 ft)
- Wing area: 26.72 m² (180 sq ft)
- Max speed: 169 km/h (105 mph)
- Cruising speed: 121 km/h (75 mph)
- Stalling speed clean: 35 km/h (22 mph)
- Stalling speed in landing configuration: 23 km/h (14 mph)
- Initial rate of climb: 366 m/min (1,200 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 4,572 m (15,000 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 76 litres (16.6 imp gals)
- Range: 463 km (288 miles)
- Empty weight: 225 kw (497 lb)
- Payload: 228 kg (503 lb)
- Loaded weight: 454 kg (1,000 lb)
History:
The RW-19 Stork is one of a series of ultralight aircraft designed by Roger Mann as a light sporting aircraft, plans being supplied. Seating two, it is an 80% replica of the German World War II Fieseler Storch, flies at 24 km/h (15 mph), and lands and takes-off in 9 m to 15m (30 to 50 ft). It is usually fitted with the Rotax 912 engine providing 60 kw (80 hp) but engines in the 39 kw (52 hp) to 86 kw (115 hp) range may be installed. It is marketed by Rag Wing Aviation of Belton, South Carolina, USA. The fuselage is of steel tube construction with a wooden wing and fabric covering.
The first of the type registered in this region was ZK-RWB (c/n RW19) in July 2004 to its owner / builder Wayne Wilson in Christchurch, NZ. This aircraft is finished in Luftwaffe markings and was powered by a Subaru EA-81 engine with a two-barrel Webber carburettor, driving a three-blade IVO propeller through a Sounka reduction drive, making its first flight on 4 July 2004 at Rangiora. It was later sold to Ivan Campbell on 8 March 2010 and fitted with a Rotec R-2800 radial engine driving a Brent Thompson propeller, making it more of a resemblance to a Morane Saulnier radial-engined Fieseler Storch.
At least one example was completed in Australia, this aircraft being registered with Recreation Aviation Australia as 19-8556, but was seriously damaged when it suffered an engine problem on 5 March 2017, crashing on the Wee Jasper Road south of Tumut, NSW.