Photograph:
Urbanair UFM-11 Lambada 24-4257 (c/n (c/n 19/11) ) at The Oaks, NSW in May 2006 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
Czech Republic
Description:
Two-seat light sport monoplane
Power Plant:
One 60 kw (80 hp) Jabiru [2200 cc] four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 11.9 m (39 ft)
- Length: 6.0 m (19 ft 8 in)
- Height: 1.95 m (6 ft 4 in)
- Wing area: 11.70 m² (125.9 sq ft)
- Max speed: 215 km/h (134 mph)
- Max cruising speed: 175 km/h (109 mph)
- Max rate of climb at sea level: 284 m/min (932 ft/min)
- Stalling speed: 63 km/h (39 mph)
- Fuel capacity: 57 litres (12.5 Imp gals)
- Range: 1,500 km (932 miles)
- Empty weight: 265 kg (562 lb)
- Loaded weight [ultralight]: 450 kg (992 lb)
- Loaded weight [VLA or experimental]: 560 kg (1,232 lb)
History:
The Lambada was one of a series of ultralight aircraft produced in the Czech Republic by Urbanair at Libchavy, being designed by Pavel Urban, Karel Faltus and Milos Mladek. It has been produced for economical touring, pilot training and sport flying. The prototype UFM-11 first flew in May 1996 powered by a Rotax 447 engine. A wing was tested to destruction at the Aeronautical Engineering faculty of Brno University.
Aircraft produced in the series include the UFM-10 Samba fitted with a 60 kw (80 hp) Jabiru 2200 cc four-cylinder engine; and the UFM-11, similar to the UFM-10, incorporating many of the other aircraft’s components but aimed at the European microlight market. The UFM-11 had a shoulder wing, the wingspan was greater, the tailboom was longer and it had a T-tail. The Lambada had removal wing tips that could be replaced by extended wing tips to enhance performance as a glider.
The series was developed to the UFM-13W series and was available with a variety of engines, including the four-cylinder Jabiru 2200, Rotax 912ULS and the 45 kw (60 hp) HKS 700-E two-cylinder, four-stroke, horizontally-opposed air-cooled unit. The aircraft could be operated as a motor-glider and could take-off under its own power. It was of all composite construction and was available with two wings, one of 13 m (42 ft 7 in) span and one of 15 m (49 ft 3 in) by the addition of extended wingtips. Engines up to 75 kw (100 hp) have been installed.
The Lambada was capable of aerobatics and was rated at +6/-3G. The wing flaps, ailerons or flaperons, and the elevator all featured automatic self-aligning connectors, and the wing spars were reinforced with carbon fibre. It could be dismantled for storage or transport in a trailer.
First examples of the series in Australia were registered under RAA rules, one UFM-11 becoming 24-4257 (c/n 19/11) on 28 January 2005; one UFM13/15 Lambada becoming VH-ZFG (c/n 120/13) on 16 December 2008; and one Samba becoming 19-7665 (c/n SAXL26 – ex ZU-HGD) on 26 October 2010.
The aircraft has been marketed in the United States as the Distar D13/15 Sundancer and an example of this variant has been registered in Australia as VH-ZHX. It was built in the Czech Republic in 2016 and was powered by a Rotax 912UL engine. It was registered on 12 December 2016 and was operated by Heinz Zelinder of Corinda Beach, NSW.