Photograph:
Loehle Sport Parasol 10-4188 (c/n not known) (Author’s collection)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Single-seat light sporting aircraft
Power Plant:
One 37 kw (50 hp) Rotax 503 UL-2V two-cylinder two-stroke fan-cooled electronic dual-ignition engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 7.77 m (25 ft 6 in)
- Length: 5.63 m (18 ft 5 in)
- Wing area: 10.59 m² (114 sq ft)
- Cruising speed: 97 km/h (60 mph)
- Stalling speed: 35 km/h (22 mph)
- Take-off roll: 30 m (100 ft)
- Landing roll: 46 m (150 ft)
- Rate of climb: 229 m/min (750 ft/min)
- Range: 322 km (200 miles)
- Fuel capacity: 38 litres (8.3 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 114 kg (252 lb)
- Loaded weight: 272 kg (600 lb)
History:
The Sport Parasol is a single-seat light, simple, wooden aircraft with fabric covering produced by Loehle Aircraft Corp of Wartrace, Tennessee to meet a market for a cheap, light, easy to build ultralight. Wings are detachable for storage and trailering. A few have been built in this region, one of the first completed being 10-4188, registered under RAA regulations. At one stage the Parasol was advertised as the “cheapest kit plane in the world”. Engine fitted is usually the 37 kw (50 hp) Rotax 503 but engines in the 21 kw to 37 kw (28 hp to 50 hp) range may be installed.