Photograph:
A Kolb Firestar I in the United States (unknown)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Single-seat ultra-light sporting monoplane
Power Plant:
One 31 kw (42 hp) Rotax 447 UL-2V two-cylinder, two-stroke fan-cooled electronic single-ignition engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 8.36 m (27 ft 4 in)
- Length: 6.17 m (20 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 13.28 m² (143 sq ft)
- Max speed: 101 km/h (63 mph)
- Cruising speed: 85 km/h (53 mph)
- Stalling speed: 48 km/h (30 mph)
- Rate of climb: 198 m/min (650 ft/min)
- Fuel capacity: 19 litres (4.21 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 115 kg (254 lb)
- Loaded weight: 249 kg (550 lb)
History:
The Firestar was produced by Kolb Aircraft in the United States in the 1980s as a single-seat ultralight and had features of early models produced by the Company but had the benefit of some years of development. It had a semi-enclosed cockpit rather than the open frame or pods of earlier models. It was available in kit form for construction by the builder. The type was marketed in Australia by Ultralight Flying Machines of North Balwyn, VIC. A variant of the Firestar was the Twin Star (dealt with separately), which was a two-seat side-by-side model of similar construction, with a chrome molybdenum welded steel tube fuselage with an aluminium boom spar and ribs. This model was aimed at the ultralight training market. Aircraft in Australia have been registered under RAA (Recreation Aviation Australa) regulations.