Today the Risen ultralight (already holder of the FAI world speed record for the UL category with standard engine and equipment at 323km/h in level flight) too koff from Pavullo Airport LIDP for a quarter around the world flight.
The goal is to reach Uruguay with just 5 stops, in 5 days, Flying only in daylight.
This flight is stretching the limits of speed, endurance and capabilities of such planes, and what amazes me the most is that the model doing the flight is a standard model, taking pilot + passenger (i think the owner of this model) without any particoular modification done to it to make this performance possible. It is mounting the 200lt tanks which are available as an optional on any model.
More info can be found on their website:
http://www.sea-avio.com/challenge.html
for live tracking of this flight you can follow them here:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0HKq4ijYV21JPQnG2GO266TVkG4GHvarT
as I write they’re reaching Valencia after 3:30 hours of flight, flying at economical cruise of 260km/h, burning 15lt/h…. no more to say I guess. :)
Very impressive. With a chute, life raft and satellite weather they look well equipped for ITCZ. Just wait for the right day to cross.
Impressive design, perhaps they will produce a tailwheel version and save on some complexity of the nose wheel retraction, might even improve the useful load.
200 mph UL is a nice package.
loco wrote:
well equipped for ITCZ
What’s ITCZ loco?
Nice package. The only thing lacking is UL. Another 50-60 kg would make it a viable 2-person plane with toothbrushes and a change of underwear. Or maybe I should lose some weight, lots of weight!
I would actually look at a plane like this for purchase if it could be used by 2 normal sized adults.
What is the price?
Normal sized? Where is the “norm”? We’re not in the US of A, remember?
(anecdotically) When I recently ordered shirts from China, I had to request XLLLL size, whereas locally I buy L or sometimes XL. Where is the norm?
But yes, any European style UL with its MTOW of 450 or 472,5 kg is not a viable travelling machine for two, bar the exceptionally lean.
That said, the design is impressive, especially the report between Vne and stall speed – I was always told 1:4 is a very good job for an aeroplane design, but this one goes well beyond. Those “barn door” flaps have their “raison d’être”! They remind me suspiciously of those on the VL3 – no surprise of course.
Looking at their current position, my thought is that it must be nice to arrive within ‘striking distance’ of Lanzarote in early evening!
What an adventure.
WhiskeyPapa wrote:
The only thing lacking is UL. Another 50-60 kg would make it a viable 2-person plane with toothbrushes and a change of underwear. Or maybe I should lose some weight, lots of weight!
They all do. As 2 seaters, most UL’s can only be flown by infants. 122 kg for pax and bags with 200 liters of fuel on board is not that shabby but still quite unrealistic for a standard couple. 61 kgs per person is just not European or let alone American standard weight, let alone with baggage. Most folks I know will average 100 kgs with airline ratio bags, quite a few are way beyond that. A standard family of 2 adults and one 10 year old will most of the time bring on 300 kgs for travel.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
122 kg for pax and bags with 200 liters of fuel on board is not that shabby but still quite unrealistic for a standard couple.
True, but these 200 L give it a range of 3000 NM at the maximum-range speed of 103 kts. You rarely need it.
