# spec list of efficient light planes

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#### patrickrio

##### Well-Known Member
Definitely an interesting and fast build technique. Very interesting to watch. But not very optimized for efficiency or speed. It will not qualify for this list for sure.

Anyone else have some suggestions for planes that fly 63mph/55knots/102kph or faster max speed on 26hp/19.4kw/26.4ps or less?

#### EzyBuildWing

##### Well-Known Member
Kasperwing 180-BX with glassfibre-pod and large lexan windows and wheel spats: Empty 180 lbs; MTOW 400 lbs; Zenoah G25B 20 HP @ 6000 rpm driving a 54" x 25" prop via V-belts; 5 gallons; 35' span; 180 sq ft; VNE 55 mph; maximum cruise 50 mph; stall 18 mph; economical cruise 45 mph; range 175 miles; 12:1 glide ratio @ 25 mph; 50' take-off; 20' landing. ROC 800 ft/min.
Fly-away price of this machine in 1983 was approx. $5500. #### BBerson ##### Light Plane Philosopher HBA Supporter The 1923 Dehavilland DH-53 was the first true light plane. Top speed 73 on 26 hp. Almost 100 years anniversary. Several of the Lympne Trials contestants of 1923 might qualify, such as the co-winners English Electric Wren and the other ? Last edited: #### henryk ##### Well-Known Member 12:1 glide =15:1 (old data...) BTW=with CR Differential reductor the thrust force is circa 30 % more (80 kG !), Vmax should be > 80 km/h , climbe rate was not measured (no variometer),but >30 deg. ! #### Attachments • 77.3 KB Views: 11 #### patrickrio ##### Well-Known Member The 1923 Dehavilland DH-53 was the first true light plane. Top speed 73 on 26 hp. Almost 100 years anniversary. Several of the Lympne Trials contestants of 1923 might qualify, such as the co-winners English Electric Wren and the other ? Looks like Parnell Pixie, ANEC I, de Haviland DH.53, Gloster Gannet, and Gnosspelius Gull all qualify for the list and I will include them this evening when I have time. It is likely that more airplanes from the 1923 trials qualified for my list, but the specifications available are insufficient to know. #### patrickrio ##### Well-Known Member Kasperwing 180-BX with glassfibre-pod and large lexan windows and wheel spats: Empty 180 lbs; MTOW 400 lbs; Zenoah G25B 20 HP @ 6000 rpm driving a 54" x 25" prop via V-belts; 5 gallons; 35' span; 180 sq ft; VNE 55 mph; maximum cruise 50 mph; stall 18 mph; economical cruise 45 mph; range 175 miles; 12:1 glide ratio @ 25 mph; 50' take-off; 20' landing. ROC 800 ft/min. Fly-away price of this machine in 1983 was approx.$5500.
with VNE of 55... won't qualify for list.

#### jedi

##### Well-Known Member
Henryk, you know I love Kasperwings. They have a special place in my heart too. I suspect that a cantilever Kasperwing constructed to about 130sq ft attached to a fully faired/enclosed pilot pod that weighs around 200 pounds empty would qualify for this list no problem.

But alas, I don't have specifications for such a thing. everything I can find uses too much HP or flies too slow. Do you know someone who has built a Kasperwing that qualifies? If so, get them to share the specifications!!
No but would you like a design study to scale a Cascade Ultralights Kasper Wing to 32 foot span (versus 35') and 150 Sq Ft (versus 180 SF) and 500 pound gross weight (versus 380 pound). EW 250 pounds (versus 160 pounds).

Stall goes from 18 mph to 24 mph and top speed goes from 55 mph to 72 mph from the back of my junk mail envelope.

Just say'n. Looks promising!

Edit: Coefficient or drag needs to be reduced 25% to meet the 26 hp requirement per my estimate.

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#### henryk

##### Well-Known Member
180 SF) and 500 pound gross weight
=auer 2-place K-W project, ONLY 18 mph (take off,landing !)

BTW=auer "GREEN" K-W can fly horisontally (iddle motor) 18 km/h (5 m/s !)

I think,we remember kinetic (crash) energy formula Ek=0.5 m*V^2 ?!

1.6^2>2.5 !!!

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#### patrickrio

##### Well-Known Member
No but would you like a design study to scale a Cascade Ultralights Kasper Wing to 32 foot span (versus 35') and 150 Sq Ft (versus 180 SF) and 500 pound gross weight (versus 380 pound). EW 250 pounds (versus 160 pounds).

Stall goes from 18 mph to 24 mph and top speed goes from 55 mph to 72 mph from the back of my junk mail envelope.

Just say'n. Looks promising!

Edit: Coefficient or drag needs to be reduced 25% to meet the 26 hp requirement per my estimate.
I am quite sure that some version of Kasperwing could qualify.... but I would want to see something close to that version flying, like maybe as a glider. I have 2 planned aircraft on my list, but both of those planned aircraft have flown as gliders in extremely similar form and design studies have been completed from there... and they will very clearly far exceed my criteria when finished. Maybe Henrk's friend Bogdan will do it.

Kasperwings are cool, so someone should do it.

#### henryk

##### Well-Known Member
Henrk's friend Bogdan will do it.
-its a pity,Bogdan is allmost blinde, hard and danger to work ...

=now we have problems with china cheap controllers (450 A, 120 V)...

=last prototype with classic mounted (parasol) K-W wigs,
next prototype with FREEWING mode (take off and landing at greate AoA =vortex flow)

ASTER -like=

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#### patrickrio

##### Well-Known Member
Here is the most recent version of the list. It seems to me there are 3 groups of planes on it.
1. Part 103 Legal (or could be legal with lower power to reduce top speed..) Ultralights
2. Motorglider like light aircraft that have a stall speed too high to be part 103
3. Miniplane like light aircraft with stall too high to be part 103 & un-glider-like short wings
Maybe I should split the list up and make separate posts for each? Here is the current list:

#### Vigilant1

##### Well-Known Member
Maybe I should split the list up and make separate posts for each? Here is the current list:
It is up to you, of course, but it would depend on the ultimate purpose. As it is, it is already a niche product: a list of single place planes that can fly faster than allowed under Part 103 on 26 HP or less. Kinda arbitrary criteria, it seems to me. Anyway, if someone is specifically interested in max speed, stall speed, climb rate, etc, they can just use the sort function starting with your spreadsheet.

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#### patrickrio

##### Well-Known Member
It is up to you, of course, but it would depend on the ultimate purpose. As it is, it is already a niche product: a list of single place planes that can fly faster than allowed under Part 103 on 26 HP or less. Kinda arbitrary criteria, it seems to me. Anyway, if someone is specifically interested in max speed, stall speed, climb rate, etc, they can just use the sort function starting with your spreadsheet.
So Just leave it here. Maybe one of the mods can update post one with the most recent pic and also attach the spreadsheet file so it can be downloaded.....

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#### Stephen Asman

##### Member
The original Sorrell SNS-2 Guppy should meet the criteria. It was designed to fly on an 18 hp engine.

Sorrell SNS-2 Guppy
Empty weight 330
HP 18
Max gross 575
Wing span 21' 3"
Wing area 129
Stall speed 30
Cruise speed 65
Vne 90
L/D 12/1
Rate of climb 300
Length 15' 5"

BJC

#### raumzeit

##### Member
Aerola Alatus AL-12M

Aeriane/Icaro e-Swift

Alisport Silent 2 Electro

A.I.R. ATOS Wing (certifying)

A.I.R. ATOS VX/VR Silent Glider

All electric, primary-gliders. Energy-efficient by nature.

#### aeronco

##### Member
The Aeronca C2 appears to fit the criteria. It's an amazingly efficient machine.

#### Flash

##### New Member
Having built and flown a Monnett Moni in the late 1980s I feel it's near the top in this category. It's only weak point IMHO was the KFM engine. Many of the aircraft in this category had the same issue. Not many light, efficient and most of all reliable engines out there.

#### jedi

##### Well-Known Member
Having built and flown a Monnett Moni in the late 1980s I feel it's near the top in this category. It's only weak point IMHO was the KFM engine. Many of the aircraft in this category had the same issue. Not many light, efficient and most of all reliable engines out there.
Can you be more specific about the problems with the KFM engine?

#### patrickrio

##### Well-Known Member
The original Sorrell SNS-2 Guppy should meet the criteria. It was designed to fly on an 18 hp engine.

Sorrell SNS-2 Guppy
Empty weight 330
HP 18
Max gross 575
Wing span 21' 3"
Wing area 129
Stall speed 30
Cruise speed 65
Vne 90
L/D 12/1
Rate of climb 300
Length 15' 5"
I will put this in with these specs... as the only biplane currently on the list. Maybe the ultralight hiperbipe could also make it? the fully enclosed cockpit, wheelpants, and faired wing cables seems to help it make speed....
I had looked at this airplane before and eliminated it because all specs I could find showed 32hp engines. I still can't find specs with the 18hp but have read some discussions that said it doesn't climb at 300ft/min on that engine and that overall performance is marginal on it. But there is a 22hp version of the same engine that would likely pep things up a bit... and since that engine weighs 80lbs in flight form there are some other, newer 4 stroke options in the same weight class with even more hp.

rebuilt cushmans with stainless valves & forged cranks

O-43 -- {3.5 / 2.25 / 43.3} / {88.9 / 57.2 / 710}

2cyl; OMC Cushman 18hp Truckster; 18hp@3600rpm; 1966-1977; Wt = 80#; TC = none.
Single-ignition engine.
aerofiles.com; J65-66 (SNS-1 application); SA10/77 (SNS-2 application).
Applications: (US) Sorrell SNS-1 [N2976G], SNS-2 Guppy [N2180] ultralight biplanes.

O-48 -- {3.5 / 2.5 / 48.1} / {88.9 / 57.2 / 788}

2cyl; OMC Cushman 22hp Truckster; 22hp@3600rpm; 1966-1977; Wt = 80#; TC = none.
Single-ignition engine.
None found.
Applications: None found.

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#### patrickrio

##### Well-Known Member
Aerola Alatus AL-12M

Aeriane/Icaro e-Swift

Alisport Silent 2 Electro

A.I.R. ATOS Wing (certifying)

A.I.R. ATOS VX/VR Silent Glider

All electric, primary-gliders. Energy-efficient by nature.
added all except Alisport Silent 2 because it is heavy and uses 30HP