Photograph:
Ultralight Flight Mirage on display at a museum in Tauranga, New Zealand (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Single-seat ultralight sport aircraft
Power Plant:
One 26 kw (35 hp) Kawasaki TA 440A two-cylinder, two-stroke, converted snowmobile air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 9.8m (32 ft)
- Length: 5.94 m (19 ft 6 in)
- Height: 2.62 m (8 ft 7 in)
- Wing area: 13.4 m² (144 sq ft)
- Cruising speed: 80 km/h (50 mph)
- Stalling speed: 40 km/h (25 mph)
- Service ceiling: 4,267 m (14,000ft)
- Rate of climb: 305 m/min (1,000 ft/min)
- Rate of sink: 131 m/min (430 ft/min)
- Range: 169 km (105 miles)
- G limits: +5.6/-2.8
- Fuel capacity: 15 litres (3.3 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 112 kg (246 lb)
- Loaded weight: 227 kg (500 lb)
History:
The Mirage was designed by Francis Riley and produced in the United States as an ultralight aircraft to meet US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicle regulations. It was produced in large numbers. Based on the Aerodyne Systems Vector and the Hill Humbug ultralights, it had a cable-braced high wing, a single-seat with an open cockpit, a tricycle undercarriage and an engine in the pusher configuration. It was built of aluminium tubing and the flying surfaces were covered in Dacron sailcloth. The wing was cable braced from an inverted V-kingpost and had spoilers. A fibreglass cockpit could be installed, if required, and it was made available to the amateur construction market in kit form. The Kawasaki engine was mounted on the leading-edge of the wing and drove the trailing-edge mounted pusher propeller through an extension shaft.
Quite a number were imported to this region in the mid-1980s, with at least 40 examples being imported to New Zealand. A number of examples have been registered in Australia with RAA.
Registrations allotted in New Zealand include: ZK-EYI (c/n MAANZ-059) at Feilding; ZK-EYN (c/n MAANZ-045) at Timaru; ZK-EZO (c/n MAANZ-078) at Christchurch; ZK-EZR (c/n MAANZ-079), a Mk II at Rotorua; ZK-EZU (c/n MAANZ-077) at Christchurch; ZK-FDF (c/n MAANZ-120) a Mk II at Palmerston North; ZK-FDH (c/n MAANZ-072) a Mk II at Tuakau; ZK-FDS (cc/n MAANZ-150) a Mk II at Nelson; ZK-MRO (c/n MAANZ-040) at Pukukohe; ZK-FMI (c/n MAANZ354), ZK-FMR (c/n MAANZ363), ZK-FNH (c/n MAANZ374), ZK-FNI (MAANZ368), ZK-FNJ (c/n MAANZ371), ZK-FDA (c/n MAANZ129), ZK-FDD (c/n MAANZ129), ZK-FDF (c/n MAANZ120), ZK-FDJ (c/n MAANZ 098), ZK-FCF (c/n MAANZ090), ZK-FDS (c/n MAANZ/150), ZK-MRO (c/n MAANZ/040), and ZK-FCC (c/n MAANZ104).