Photograph:
Vision Aircraft Vision, known in the United Kingdom as the Thruster 600, G-KDCD (c/n 9098-T600N-025) (Vision Aircraft)
Country of origin:
Australia
Description:
Two-seat light touring and training aircraft
Power Plant:
One 48 kw (65 hp) Rotax 582 two-cylinder, two-stroke, liquid-cooled electronic dual-ignition engine
Specifications:
- (Tricycle undercarriage)
- Wingspan: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
- Length: 5.8 m (19 ft)
- Height: 2.4 m (7 ft 9 in)
- Wing area: 15.69 m² (168.89 sq ft)
- Cruising speed at 75% power: 130 km/h (81 mph)
- Cruising speed at 65% power: 115 km/h (71 mph)
- Stalling speed: 63 km/h (39 mph)
- Rate of climb at sea level: 244 m/min (800 ft/min)
- Range at 75% power with 30 mins fuel reserve: 287 km (178 miles)
- Endurance with 30 mins reserve: 3 hrs
- Fuel capacity: 50 litres (11 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 247 kg (555 lb)
- Loaded weight: 450 kg (992 lb)
History:
The Vision was a two-seat dual-control high-wing strut-braced monoplane suitable for training, recreation, and property work produced by Vision Aircraft at its manufacturing facility at Orange, NSW. A couple of variants were made available, including the Vision 600 and the Vision 600 Mk 2. First production model was the 600, which had an undercarriage readily reversible from nosewheel (tricycle) to tailwheel configuration. Construction was of tubular aluminium with chrome-molybdenum chassis with an enclosed reinforced fibreglass/plastic cockpit pod. The wing and tail were covered with Dacron or Mylar film.
The engine, which was in tractor configuration, could be chosen from a number which were available, including the 37 kw (50 hp) Rotax 503, 48 kw (65 hp) Rotax 582, 51 kw (68 hp) Hirth 2706, and 60 kw (80 hp) Jabiru 2200, driving either a three-blade Brolga composite, or two-blade wooden, propeller. It was constructed to meet CAO95.55 para 1.6 AUF and was registered as a factory-built aircraft.
A Vision VH-PFY (c/n 186) was registered in 2003. Two have been registered under RAA regulations as 19-3729 (c/n NJ0110), removed from the RAA register on 6 August 2005, and 19-3730 (c/n NJ0109), registered on 30 May 2002 and also removed from the RAA register on 3 May 2003. Both these aircraft were fitted with Jabiru 2200 engines. Further examples of the T-600N became 24-3341 (c/n N99112) on 13 April 2000, 24-3467 (c/n 1208) on 15 December 2000, and 24-8294 on 12 February 2013.
The Vision 600 was built and marketed in the United Kingdom as the Thruster T600 but the Australian aircraft had some improvements made to better meet local conditions, particularly in the area of handling qualities pertinent to novice pilots. Changes included an increase in max weight. First production Vision 600s in Australia were British machined aircraft assembled at Orange, this occurring up until full local production got underway.