Photograph:
Diehl Aero Nautical XTC ZK-XTZ (c/n NZXTC-1) at Paraparaumu, NZ in July 2010 (Neil France – NZCIVAIR)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Single-seat ultralight amphibian
Power Plant:
One 26 kw (35 hp) KFM-107 two-cylinder, two-stroke, single-ignition, horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 9.75 m (32 ft)
- Wing area: 14.39 m² (155 sq ft)
- Max speed: 113 km/h (70 mph)
- Cruising speed: 89 km/h (55 mph)
- Stalling speed: 49 km/h (25 mph)
- Empty weight: 109 kg (240 lb)
- Useful load: 104 kg (230 lb)
- Loaded weight: 231 kg (510 lb)
History:
The XTC was designed and built in kit form by Diehl Aero Nautical in the 1980s as an amphibious ultralight aircraft with an open cockpit. The engine was in the pusher configuration and the aircraft was of canard configuration, having twin tails and rudders operated by foot pedals, and spoilerons on the wings to deal with roll control. It had a three-axis control system and elevator located on the forward canard surface. It had a tricycle undercarriage which was retractable, and had nosewheel steering. It was of all composite construction. It was said to be under-powered and pitch sensitive.
When first designed the aircraft was fitted with a KFM two-cylinder, two-stroke, single-ignition engine, this unit being provided by Komet Flight Motor Division of Italian American Motor Engineering of Italy but was found to be under-powered and was replaced by a Rotax unit.
It is known one example was built in the late 1980s in New Zealand, becoming ZK-XTZ (c/n NZXTC-1) by Messrs Martyn Cook and Rodney Ruddick, this example being fitted with a 31 kw (42 hp) Rotax 447 two-cylinder engine. It was registered on 12 April 1988, flown for some time, and then stored in a container at Paraparaumu in the 2000s, being withdrawn from service on 5 September 2006. It was obtained in 2010 by Mr Neil France of Wellington, was re-registered on 22 July 2010, and has been operated from the water on Paremata Harbour. It is not known if any other examples have been built in this part of the world.