Wings of Freedom Flitplane

The Wings of Freedom Flitplane is an American single-seat, high-wing, single-engine ultralight aircraft that is available as a kit aircraft or as plans for amateur construction from Wings of Freedom of Hubbard, Ohio.[1][2][3][4]

Flitplane
Role Ultralight aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Wings of Freedom
Designer Ed Fisher
First flight 1995
Introduction 1995
Status Production ended (2019)
Number built 50 (Dec 2011)[1]

The Flitplane was designed as a low-cost aircraft with the look of an antique aircraft design for the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles category with its maximum 254 lb (115 kg) empty weight requirement.[3][5]

In late 2019 the company website had been taken down and it is likely that production had ended.[6]

Development

The Flitplane was designed in 1995 by Ed Fisher who also designed the Skylite ultralight and the Micro-Mong home-built aircraft. The design was acquired by Joe Naylor and Mark W. Klotz who formed Wings of Freedom Aviation Inc. in 1996 to develop the design and market it.[7]

Naylor and Klotz made many changes to the design but retained the antique look of the aircraft and its distinctive large triangular windshield.[2]

The Flitplane's fuselage is fabricated from a welded truss of 4130 steel tubing. The 27 ft (8.2 m) wings are of aluminum "ladder-type" construction, are strut-braced and utilize jury struts. The fuel tank is integrated into the wing centre-section. The wings and tail are covered in doped aircraft fabric. The engine is mounted in front of the high wing, above the cockpit. The original powerplant was a 35 hp (26 kW) Cuyuna 460 engine, with a 40 hp (30 kW) Rotax 447 optional. Later engine options added included the 28 hp (21 kW) Hirth F-33, the 45 hp (34 kW) Zanzottera MZ 201 and the Kawasaki 440 40 hp (30 kW) engine.[2][4]

The conventional landing gear is suspended using fibreglass axles. The tailwheel is steerable. The controls are conventional three-axis and include full-span ailerons. The large, flat-plate triangular windshield protects the pilot from the propeller blast and has distinctive cut-outs for the rudder pedals.[2][4]

The Flitplane is available as plans, a complete kit, partial kits or as a finished and ready-to-fly aircraft. The company claims that the aircraft can be built from the kit in 100 hours or 500 hours from plans.[2][5]

Specifications (Flitplane)

Data from Company website[4]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Capacity: no passengers
  • Length: 15 ft 9 in (4.80 m)
  • Wingspan: 27 ft 0 in (8.24 m)
  • Height: ()
  • Wing area: 145 sq ft (13.49 sq m)
  • Empty weight: 240 lbs (109 kg)
  • Useful load: 360 lbs (163 kg)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 600 lbs (272 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Hirth F-33 two-stroke, dual capacitor discharge ignition single-cylinder engine with 2.5:1 reduction belt drive, 28 hp (21 kW)
  • Propeller diameter: 64 in (1.62 m)

Performance

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References
  1. Vandermeullen, Richard: 2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 76. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
  2. Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page B-19. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-9680628-1-4
  3. Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, page 295. BAI Communications. ISBN 0-9636409-4-1
  4. Wings of Freedom Aviation Inc (2008). "Flitplane". Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  5. Wings of Freedom Aviation Inc (n.d.). "Flitplane - Homebuilding available". Archived from the original on June 17, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  6. Wings of Freedom. "Wings of Freedom". www.wingsoffreedomaviation.com. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  7. Wings of Freedom Aviation Inc (n.d.). "About us". Retrieved 2009-10-14.
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