Country of origin:

South Africa

Description:

Two-seat light touring and training monoplane

Power Plant:

One 75 kw (100 hp) Rotax 912ULS four-cylinder horizontally-opposed liquid-and-air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

Built by The Airplane Factory at Tedderfield in Johannesburg in South Africa, the Company produces two designs, the Sling 2, which is available as a GA aircraft with an all-up weight of 700 kg (1,543 lb), but 600 kg ( 1,323 lb) if registered under LSA Regulations; and the Sling 4, the latter being a four-seat variant.  The Company also announced it was developing a six-seat variant which would have a high wing. The aircraft have been distributed in Australia by Axis Aviation for the western half of the country, and Global Aviation Products in the eastern States. Power was normally supplied by a Rotax 912 engine, but the Rotax 914 could also be installed, and other engine options were also available.

In 2009, in order to make the type more known to the market, the Company owners Michael Blyth and James Pitman flew the production prototype Sling 2 (ZU-TSF) around the world to prove its performance capabilities, the longest part of the flight being from Brazil to South Africa, which was covered in 26 hours.  This particular aircraft was configured with a stronger undercarriage and additional fuel tanks.  It was also flown in April 2001 from South Africa to Poland in seven days.

The series of Sling 2 aircraft was aimed at the general aviation, LSA or ultralight markets, being constructed of all-metal and available as ready-to-fly aircraft or as a homebuilt. Engine installed was the 912ULS, a four-cylinder, four-stroke, horizontally-opposed unit of 1352 cc with liquid-cooled heads and air-cooled cylinders, twin carburettors, and an integrated reduction gearbox with a torque damper which produced 73.5 kw (98 hp) at 5800 rpm for a max of five minutes, and 69 kw (92.5 hp) at 5500 rpm continuous driving a Warpdrive 1.78 m (70 in) three-blade composite propeller.  Fuel was contained in two 75 litre (16.5 Imp gal) tanks integrated in the wing leading-edge.

First of the type seen in this region was imported as a demonstrator in June 2012. First two-seat Sling registered in Australia became 24-8120, followed by 24-8470 (c/n 149) and 24-8489 (c/n 151) under RAA regulations.  In June 2014 an example became VH-MLM (c/n 067), and at that time some 20 examples had been ordered by the Australian dealer, including VH-KXJ (c/n 183), but most Australian examples have been registered with Recreation Aircraft Australia.

First example registered in New Zealand became ZK-SLG (c/n 82) to its owner at Warkworth on 20 October 2014.

The Sling 2 has also been built in Belgium as the Sonaca 200 and kits produced by this Company have been sold in Europe, the first Belgian-built prototype being OO-NEW (c/n FTA2) fitted with an 86 kw (115 hp) Rotax 914F engine and having a gross weight of 750 kg (1,654 lb).

In July 2011 the prototype Sling 4 ZU-TAF (c/n 0001), a four-seat variant, was flown around the world, heading east. However, on 4 August 2019 shortly after take-off from Tabora airport in Tanzania it crashed and was destroyed.