Photograph:
Sorrell SNS-2 Guppy ZK-JGK (c/n GUPPY-1) in New Zealand in 2010 (Evan Belworthy)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Single-seat light sport biplane
Power Plant:
(SNS-8)
One 21 kw (28 hp) Rotax 277 single-cylinder, two-stroke, air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 6.71 m (22 ft)
- Length: 4.72 m (15 ft 6 in)
- Height: 1.61 m (5 ft 3 in)
- Wing area: 13 m² (140 sq ft)
- Max speed: 121 km/h (75 mph)
- Economical cruising speed: 96 km/h (60 mph)
- Stalling speed: 44 km/h (28 mph)
- Rate of climb: 213 m/min (700 ft/min)
- Range: 266 km (165 miles)
- Empty weight: 112 kg (247 lb)
- Loaded weight: 227 kg (500 lb)
History:
Sorrell Aviation in the United States produced a series of ultralight aircraft, including the Guppy and the Hiperlight. The SNS-8 Hiperlight was a negative stagger strut-braced biplane with both mainplanes of equal span and with an enclosed cockpit. The rear framework, ribs and spars were of aluminium alloy, and the forward cockpit frame was chrome-moly welded tube, the structure being covered with Dacron. It was fitted with flaperons of aluminium construction which ran the full span. The SNS-8 was also available in the EXP variant, this differing in having a 31 kw (42 hp) Rotax 447 engine and a max speed of 145 km/h (90 mph).
The SNS-2 Guppy was also a single-seat light sporting biplane of similar configuration to the later SNS-8 model and was fitted with a 27 kw (36 hp) Rotax 377 engine, had a max speed of 145 km/h (90 mph), a cruising speed of 113 km/h (70 mph) and a gross weight of 272 kg (600 lb). It was of wood and fabric construction and was available in kit form. A number of kits are known to have been imported to this part of the south Pacific. Sorrell also released a model known as the SNS-9 EXP which was of similar configuration and, fitted with a 39 kw (52 hp) Rotax 503 engine, had a gross weight of 367 kg (810 lb) and a max speed of 169 km/h (105 mph).
A number of SNS-8s have been registered with Recreational Aircraft Australia, including 10-0136 (c/n 145) fitted with a Rotax 277 engine registered on 20 May 1988; 10-0291 (c/n not known) fitted with a Rotax 277 engine and registered on 23 June 1988; 10-0808 (c/n 146) fitted with a Rotax 503 engine and registered on 29 June 1988; 10-0882 registered on 10 August 1988 and retired in 1996; 10-0139 (c/n 147) fitted with a Rotax 377 engine and registered on 20 May 1988; 10-1096 (c/n 104) registered on 21 March 1989 and retired in 1996; 10-0309 registered on 27 June 1988 and retired in 1996; 10-0337 (c/n 101) fitted with a Rotax 277 engine and registered on 30 June 1988; and 10-0385 (c/n 103) fitted with a Rotax 503 engine and registered on 7 July 1988. One unregistered example crashed and was destroyed at Oxley Island, NSW on 25 February 1987.
Sorrell Aviation is also known for its SNS-7 Hiperbipe, a high-performance cabin biplane fitted with a 134 kw (180 hp) Lycoming IO-360 fuel-injected engine, this aircraft being designed in the early 1980s as a kit, making its first flight in February 1983 and having a max speed of 274 km/h (170 mph) and a gross weight of 867 kg (1,911 lb). It used traditional tube and fabric fuselage construction.
One SNS-2 Guppy (ZK-JGK – c/n Guppy 1) has been registered in New Zealand. As noted above examples have been registered under RAA regulations. An example registered as 95-0048 crashed near Beechwood, NSW on 12 November 1989. An unregistered example of the Hiperlight has been placed on display in the ultralight aircraft museum at Holbrook, NSW.