Photograph:
A Standard A shortly after completion (Lightsportaircraftpilot.com)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Single-seat light sporting aircraft
Power Plant:
One 16 kw (22 hp) Zenoah G-25 single-cylinder, two-stroke, air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 11 m (36 ft)
- Wing area: 13 m² (140 sq ft)
- Max speed: 100 km/h (62 mph)
- Cruising speed: 72 km/h (45 mph)
- Stalling speed: 29 km/h (18 mph)
- Rate of climb: 122 m/min (400 ft/min)
- Fuel capacity: 19 litres (4.2 imp gals)
- Wing loading: 15.7 kg/m² (3.21 lb/sq ft)
- G limits: +4.5
- Empty weight: 91 kg (200 lb)
- Loaded weight: 204 kg (450 lb)
History:
In 1984 in the United States Gerald Ritz designed an ultralight aircraft and commenced to supply plans to the amateur-built aircraft market but, shortly after, whilst testing the aircraf, was killed due, it is said, to a flaw in the aircraft’s design, this being related to the wing suffering aeroelastic flutter. This was traced to an aileron hinge which was modified in production aircraft.
The aircraft was designed as a minimum cost machine to US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicle rules and featured a strut-braced parasol-wing, a single open cockpit, a tailwheel undercarriage and an engine in the pusher configuration. Construction was mainly of wood with some steel and aluminium, the fuselage being of geodetic lattice structure. The wing had a single lift strut with jury struts and cabane struts. Power was usually the 16 kw (22 hp) Zenoah G-25 engine mounted behind the pilot above the fuselage. The aircraft could be quickly dis-assembled for storage or to be placed on a trailer. Controls were conventional. At least one example was built in Australia, this becoming 10-1149, which was fitted with a Rotax 532 engine.