Photograph:
A completed Sea Storm in Italy (SG Aviation)
Country of origin:
Italy
Description:
Light amphibious sport monoplane
Power Plant:
(Two-seat variant)
One 86 kw (115 hp) Rotax 914 four-cylinder turbocharged horizontally-opposed liquid-and-air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 9.14 m (20 ft)
- Length: 7.49 m (24 ft 7 in)
- Height: 1.83 m (6 ft)
- Wing area: 12.17 m² (131 sq ft)
- Max speed at sea level: 275 km/h (171 mph)
- Cruising speed at 75% power at 2,440 m (8,000 ft): 238 km/h (148 mph)
- Stalling speed, flaps down: 62 km/h (38 mph)
- Max rate of climb at sea level: 366 m/min (1,200 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 4,480 m (14,700 ft)
- Range no reserves: 1,673 km (1,040 miles)
- Empty weight: 309 kg (682 lb)
- Loaded weight: 698 kg (1,540 lb)
History:
The Sea Storm was one of a series of light aircraft designed and built in Italy by SG Aviation and has been developed in two versions, a two-seater and a four-seater. The aircraft was a single-engine amphibian with a pusher-type engine and retractable undercarriage, although it could be built as a flying boat. The fuselage was built of fibreglass, with epoxy and PVC closed cell foam composite, and the wing in the ultralight variant was of carbon with bracing struts. Promotion of the new type began in 1998.
The two-seater had the turbo-charged 86 kw (115 hp) Rotax 914 engine, but could be fitted with a 75 kw (100 hp) MWAE 100R rotary engine driving an adjustable pitch propeller. A 104 kw (140 hp) to 119 kw (160 hp) Textron Lycoming, a 75 kw (100 hp) Rotax 912ULS or a 71 kw (95 hp) Mid-West AE rotary engine could also be fitted. Seating was for two side-by-side in an enclosed cabin with a centreline-hinged door on each side. Both models were available in kit form and one was imported in 2003 by the Australian distributor, Sierra Aviation in Victoria.
The four-seater was a larger aircraft, with a wingspan of 10.36 m (34 ft), a length of 7.49 m (24 ft 7 in) and an empty weight of 519 kg (1,144 lb). With a 157 kw (210 hp) Textron Lycoming O-360 engine it had a max speed of 300 km/h (187 mph), a cruising speed of 261 km/h (162 mph) at 75% power, and a range of 1,825 km (1,134 miles). Engines up to 224 kw (300 hp) could be fitted.
First of the series in Australia, a Sea Storm 22, had the registration VH-IGP (c/n 22) reserved in February 2003. It was imported as a kit and work commenced on its construction. However, on 29 May 2007 the registration was cancelled as the project was not completed.