Avid Champion
Avid Champion | |
---|---|
Role | Ultralight aircraft
|
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | Avid Aircraft |
Designer | Dean Wilson |
First flight | 1998 |
Introduction | 1998 |
Status | Kits no longer available after November 2003 |
Developed from | Avid Mark IV
|
The Avid Champion is an American single-seat,
Avid Aircraft went out of business in November 2003 and the aircraft kits are no longer available.[4]
Development
The Champion was created by scaling down the
The design is a conventional
The main landing gear is
The Champion only meets the US FAR 103 ultralight vehicle category maximum empty weight limit of 254 lb (115 kg), with the lightest of single cylinder,
Building time to complete the kit was reported by the company to be 160 hours. When the aircraft was introduced in 1998, the kit cost was
Operational history
Andre Cliche's flight review of the Champion describes it as "light and responsive" and "agile", but cautions that the Junkers full-span ailerons produce high roll rates and high adverse yaw. He also indicated that "the overall responsiveness and taildragger reactions might tax beginners' capabilities."[1] Ultralight reviewer Dan Johnson concurred.[5]
Jim Bethea of UltraFlight magazine said: "The Champion is arguably the best fixed-wing ultralight available and perhaps the most overlooked."[3]
With the Rotax 447 engine, the aircraft can take-off in under 100 ft (30 m), as one owner explained: "You'd better be ready when you advance the throttle because the plane will jump off the ground within the next three seconds!" Landings in crosswinds have been described as "easy with a forward slip and touchdown on one main wheel". A full rudder slip will produce a descent rate of 2000 feet per minute (10 m/s).[3]
Because the choice of engine installed was left up to the builder, a variety of engines has been used, including the Rotax 277, 447 and the 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503.[3]
Specifications (Champion with Rotax 277)
Data from Cliche & KitPlanes[1][2]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Capacity: 340 lb (154 kg); no passengers
- Length: 17 ft 7 in (5.37 m)
- Wingspan: 26 ft 10 in (8.17 m)
- Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
- Wing area: 114.5 sq ft (10.65 m2)
- Empty weight: 254 lb (115 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 594 lb (269 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 277 , 28 hp (21 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 65 mph (105 km/h, 56 kn)
- Cruise speed: 63 mph (102 km/h, 55 kn)
- Stall speed: 26 mph (42 km/h, 23 kn)
- Range: 104 mi (168 km, 90 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 9,000 ft (2,745 m)
- Rate of climb: 700 ft/min (3.6 m/s)
- Wing loading: 5.19 lb/sq ft (25.26 kg/m2)
- Power/mass: 21.21 lb/hp (0.078 kW/kg)
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Aero-Works Aerolite 103
- Beaujon Mach .07
- Beaujon Enduro
- Birdman WT-11 Chinook
- Dart Skycycle
- Fisher FP-202 Koala
- Fisher FP-505 Skeeter
- Fisher FP-606 Sky Baby
- Freebird I
- ISON Airbike
- Skystar Kitfox Lite
- Spectrum RX-28 Beaver
- Wood Sky Pup
References
- ^ ISBN 0-9680628-1-4
- ^ a b c Downey, Julia: 1999 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 38. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
- ^ a b c d e f Bethea, Jim (2007). "Avid Aviates Again". Archived from the original on August 5, 2009. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
- ^ Niles, Russ (November 2003). "On the Fly". Retrieved September 26, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Johnson, Dan: "Champion Ultralight", January 10, 2004, Light Sport and Ultralight Flying, retrieved from the author's website September 1, 2023