Photograph:
A Polaris AM-FIB at the Sun ‘n Fun fly-in in Florida in 2004, this being similar in configuration to the Air Dinghy (Author’s collection)
Country of origin:
Italy
Description:
Single-seat light amphibious ultralight trike
Power Plant:
One 48 kw (64 hp) Rotax 582 two-cylinder, two-stroke, liquid-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 11.15 m (36 ft 7 in)
- Wing area: 19.6 m² (211 sq ft)
- Max speed: 80 km/h (50 mph)
- Cruising speed: 70 km/h (43 mph)
- Stalling speed: 48 km/h (30 mph)
- Rate of climb: 271 m/min (890 ft/min)
- Fuel capacity: 40 litres (8.8 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 239 kg (527 lb)
- Loaded weight: 406 kg (895 lb)
History:
In the 1980s Polaris Motor, an Italian company, commenced designing and producing a small flying-boat which was basically a trike with an amphibious hull. It was built in some numbers and exported around the world. It was designed to comply with Federation Aeronautique Internationale microlight regulations which permitted a gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb). It featured a cable-braced hang-glider style high wing with weight shift controls, seating a single pilot.
The design was developed over the years and in 2013 the AM-FIB was placed on the market, this new model having a Rotax 582 engine. The aircraft had a single-surface wing of aluminium tubing bolted together and covered in Dacron sailcloth. The undercarriage was extended and retracted by a manual crank. It is claimed over the years the Company has delivered 600 examples of its designs.
A number of examples of the Dinghy have been imported to this part of the world, mainly in the mid-1980s. Those registered in New Zealand include ZK-FMI (c/n MAANZ354) registered in March 1986 and struck off in June 1998; ZK-FMR (c/n MAANZ363) registered in June 1986 and crashing on 2 January 1988, being rebuilt and retired in Auckland in May 1995; ZK-FNH (c/n MAANZ374) registered in March 1987 and retired in June 1998; ZK-FNI (c/n MAANZ368) registered in December 1986 and crashing at Takapuna in December 1986; and ZK-FNJ (c/n MAANZ372) registered in January 1987 and struck off in August 1988.