Photograph:
An amphibious Cygnet ZK-PWG (c/n 20122) (NZCIVAIR)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Two-seat light amphibious trike
Power Plant:
One 48 kw (64 hp) Rotax 582 two-cylinder, liquid-cooled, two-stroke, engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 10.3 m (33 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 17.6 m² (189 sq ft)
- Max speed: 96 km/h (60 mph)
- Cruising speed: 60 km/h (37 mph)
- Stalling speed: 50 km/h (31 mph)
- Rate of climb: 149 m/min (490 ft/min)
- Fuel capacity: 38 litres (8.3 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 240 kg (529 lb)
- Useful load: 210 kg (463 lb)
- Loaded weight: 450 kg (992 lb)
History:
The Cygnet is marketed as the Sea and Sky Cygnet and was initially manufactured by Krucker Manufacturing of Sudbury in Ontario, Canada before production was moved to Fort Walton Beach in Florida and taken over by Sea and Sky. It was designed to comply with FAI microlight rules covering light sport aircraft in the United States. It has a strut-braced hang-glider type wing and uses weight-shift controls. It seats two persons in tandem in an open cockpit and is fitted with floats and a retractable tricycle undercarriage.
The aircraft is constructed from aluminium tube which is bolted together. It has a single surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth and is supported by struts using an A-frame and a weight-shift control bar. A number of engines from the Rotax range can be fitted, the two-cylinder, liquid-cooled, two-stroke, dual ignition Rotax 582 engine being normally installed but the 60 kw (80 hp) Rotax 912UL and the 75 kw (100 hp) 912ULS can also be installed. A number of wings from various manufacturers have been fitted to the series, including the North Wing Pulse of 17 m² (180 sq ft) and 19 m² (200 sq ft); and North Wing Mustang 3 wings which are 15 m² (160 sq ft), 17 m² (180 sq ft) and 19 m² (200 sq ft). Examples have also been fitted with the Keitek Hazard wing.
Examples have been imported to this part of the world, one becoming ZK-PWG (c/n 20122) in New Zealand and registered to its owner at Papamao.