Photograph:
An American Mono-Fly on display in Florida, USA (Teman Aircraft)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Single-seat ultralight sport aircraft
Power Plant:
One 35 kw (47 hp) Rotax 503 two-cylinder, two-stroke, fan-cooled, electronic dual ignition engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 9.4 m (30 ft 8 in)
- Length: 5.2 m (17 ft 2 in)
- Height: 2.0 m (6 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 11.5 m² (124 sq ft)
- Max speed: 101 km/h (63 mph)
- Cruising speed: 72 km/h (45 mph)
- Stalling speed: 32 km/h (20 mph)
- Rate of climb: 305 m/min (1,000 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 21.6 kg/m² (4.43 lb/sq ft)
- Fuel capacity: 19 litres (4.2 imp gals)
- Stressed to: +10/-10g
- Empty weight: 113 kg (249 lb)
- Loaded weight: 249 kg (550 lb)
History:
The Mono-Fly was produced in the United States as a strut-braced high-wing ultralight aircraft in kit form or as a completed ready-to-fly machine, having been designed by structural engineer Robert Teman and produced by Teman Aircraft Inc. It was designed to meet US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicle rules and was a single-seater with an open cockpit, a tricycle undercarriage and a Rotax engine in the pusher configuration.
It was constructed from aluminium tubing that was pop-riveted together. Early production aircraft had the flying surfaces covered with fabric but this was later changed to heat-shrunk Dacron sailcloth. Controls were conventional three-axis and the aircraft used a control yoke rather than a control stick. The tricycle undercarriage had bungee shock absorbers so it could be operated from farms or rough fields. It was aimed at the inexperienced builder.
A lot of the early-build kit aircraft were found to be too heavy to meet the FAR Part 103 limit so thereafter it was only supplied in factory produced form. Engine usually installed was the Rotax 503 but at least one had a 13 kw (18 hp) Onan four-stroke industrial unit.
The Mono-Fly was marketed in Australia by Freedom Aerolites of Alexandra, VIC in the mid-1980s and a number of examples were imported. It had a double-surface wing with all aluminium spars and ribs. All components were pre-bent, cut and drilled for simple assembly.