Photograph:
SV Aircraft Mantis at Mangalore, VIC (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
Australia
Description:
Single-seat light sport aircraft
Power Plant:
[SV11 Mantis] One 17 kw (23 hp) Rotax 277 two-cylinder air-cooled engine
[Thermite] One 12.68 kw (17 hp) Fuji Robin 244 cc engine
[Bandit] One 12.68 kw (17 hp) Fuji Robin 244 cc engine
Specifications:
- [SV-11 Mantis]
- Wingspan: 8 m (26 ft 2 in)
- Length: 5 m (16 ft 4 in)
- Wing area: 8 m² (86.11 sq ft)
- Max speed: 120 km/h (75 mph)
- Cruising speed: 101 km h (63 mph)
- Stalling speed: 52 km/h (32 mph)
- Rate of climb: 122 m/min (400 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 2,438 m (8,000 ft)
- Empty weight: 113 kg (249 lb)
- Loaded weight: 204 kg (450 lb)
- [Thermite]
- Wingspan: 13.41 m (44 ft)
- Length: 5 m (16 ft 4 in)
- Max speed: 130 km/h (81 mph)
- Cruising speed: 93 km/h (58 mph)
- Stalling speed: 54 km/h (33 mph)
- Glide ratio: 17:1
- Empty weight: 125 kg (276 lb)
- <[SV-8 Bandit]
- Wingspan: 8 m (26 ft 2 in)
- Length: 5 m (16 ft 4 in)
- Cruising speed: 139 km/h (86 mph)
- Stalling speed: 61 km/h (38 mph)
- Fuel capacity: 27 litres (5.93 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 120 kg (265 lb)
- [SV-11 Farmate]
- Wingspan: 8 m (26 ft 2 in)
- Length: 5 m (16 ft 4 in)
- Cruising speed: 111 km/h (69 mph)
- Stalling speed: 61 km/h (38 mph)
- Empty weight: 154 kg (340 lb)
History:
Mr Veenstra was born in Dieman in the Netherlands on 16 January 1943 and emigrated to Australia in about 1954. He and his family, when they arrived, spent some time at the migrant camp at Bonegilla near Albury, NSW and spent the following years, after leaving school, working with his father at Footscray, VIC in his wholesale fruit and vegetable business. He had an interest in aviation and obtained his pilot’s licence at the Royal Aero Club at Moorabbin, VIC in 1966. Over the years he owned a number of aircraft which he based at Berwick, VIC. He spent some time as a gliding instructor. He was regarded as one of the founders of the ultralight movement in Australia.
After his father’s death he ran the family business until 1978 when he commenced importing vintage aircraft. Subsequently he turned his interest to the ultralight aircraft movement. Tragically, Mr Veenstra was killed at the controls of one is own designs 5 km SSE of Nagambie, VIC on 6 March 1985. At the time he was flying a variant of his Farmate known as the Rustler with an open cockpit. The BASI report indicated the accident was caused by the reversed connection of the aileron cables. Mr Veenstra and his manufacturing team constructed at least 14 different designs and at least 30 examples of the series were completed.
In the 1970/1980s Sander and Judy Veenstra designed and built a series of single and two-seat ultralight sporting aircraft for sport aviation enthusiasts, these being light, efficient, aircraft operating on small low-powered engines. First production aircraft in the series in 1983 was the Thermite, which was fitted with a 244 cc Robin engine, had a wingspan of 13.41 m (44 ft) [one tome referring to a wingspan of 9.7 m – 31 ft 8 in] and had a max speed of 111 km/h (69 mph) at 5,200 rpm.
Other designs included the SV-8 Bandit and later the SV-10 Tardis, which appeared with the same Robin engine, this having an 11 m (36 ft) wingspan, a loaded weight of 410 kg (904 lb) and a max speed of 139 km/h (86 mph). This machine seated two and was built of aluminium alloy frame and spars with fibreglass skin and dual controls.
In 1984 the SV-11 Mantis appeared, this being the production version of the Thermite and was available with either a Robin or a Rotax engine. This was available in three models, one having an open cockpit whereas the others had semi-enclosed cockpits. The two-seat training version was called the SV-10 Tardis, and had full dual controls, side-by-side seating, and was powered by two Robin engines in the pusher configuration.
Further designs included the SV-11 Farmate aimed at agricultural work, which appeared in three models, the Model-A with an open cockpit, the Model-B with a semi-enclosed cockpit, and the Model-C with a fully enclosed cockpit. All had a two-wheel undercarriage and a V-tail.
The SV-12 did not have a name but was similar to the Farmate series and had an open cockpit. The SV-13 was a glider and was not fitted with an engine. The SV-14 in appearance was the fore-runner of some of the modern light aircraft and was the first of Mr Veenstra’s designs to have an enclosed cockpit, a tractor engine, a side door for entry to the single-seat cockpit, and a V-tail. Another of his designs was a two-seat open-cockpit high-wing aircraft fitted with two Robin 250 engines but this was later changed by Bryan Gabriel of Holbrook, NSW to a single Rotax 503 engine in the 1980s before it was sold to an operator in the ACT.
First aircraft built was the SV-1 Bluebird and it was built in a small facility near Berwick, VIC. It was a single-seat high-wing machine with a pusher engine. It had a wingspan of 12.1 m (39 ft 7 in) [one tome referring to a wingspan of 8.01 m (26 ft 3 in) and an empty weight of 111 kg (245 lb)] and was fitted with a 7.46 kw (10 hp) 210 cc Fuji Robin EC 25PS two-stroke engine, could cruise at 121 km/h (75 mph) and was stressed to +6/-3G but only one example was completed. The next design was the SV-2 which became known as the “Hotrod”. Only one example was completed, having an 11.2 kw (15 hp) engine and a 10.6 m (34 ft 7 in) span wing.
As production proceeded a new facility was obtained firstly at Tocumwal, NSW, and later moved to Mr & Mrs Veenstra’s own property at Nagambie. Designs which followed were the SV-3, SV-4 and SV-5, all of which were known as the Thermite, the main difference between the three designs being the variation in wingspan. They had a high-wing, which had struts, an inverted V-tail, a single main undercarriage and outrigger wheels at the wingtips. All had the 11.2 kw (15 hp) Robin two-stroke engine.
Next design was the SV-6 Twomite which was designed for training, having two seats with dual controls, side-by-side seating and two direct drive 244 cc Robin motors. Empty weight was 192 kg (423 lb). This was envisaged by the designer to be used for training for the ultralight movement of the time but departmental regulations at the time did not permit an ultralight aircraft to seat two. This was followed by the SV-7 Brolga, which was basically a self-launched glider.
The SV-8 was a cantilever high-wing aircraft with an enclosed cabin marketed by Mr Veenstra’s company, SV Aircraft Pty Ltd of Nagambie, VIC. With the engine in the pusher configuration behind the cockpit, it was constructed of foam, aluminium and fibreglass, the cockpit being completely enclosed. It had full span flaperons and a V-tail mounted at the end of the tail boom. It had a single-wheel undercarriage with a brake installed as standard and small wheels on the wing tip to aid ground handling. The wing could be unbolted for storage or conveyance. The SV-8 had a Fuji Robin 244 cc engine; a wingspan of 8 m (26 ft 3 in), a length of 5 m (16 ft 3 in), economical cruising speed 104 km/h (64 mph), stalling speed 56 km/h (35 mph) and a loaded weight 225 kg (496 lb). An example of this aircraft, substantially modified, was lost when it crashed 6 km ESE of Tarrawingee, VIC on 13 January 1988 on a property known as Rose Park.
The SV-9 (XC) was a one-off variant of the Thermite constructed for Bert Flood and was delivered to the owner in Melbourne, VIC. It was similar to other variants but had a two-wheel undercarriage. Little is known about a design known as the Breezy.
Many of the designs did not receive registrations as they were not applicable at the time but those which were subsequently registered with the RAA include: Thermite: 10-0791, 10-1035, 10-1164, and 10-0108; Farmate: 10-0055, 10-0073, 10-0257, 10-0276, 10-0531, 10-1152, 10-0625; and 10-1376; Breezy 10-0419. One SV-5 Thermite is held by and is on display in the collection of the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin, VIC.