Aquilair Kid Explained

The Aquilair Kid is a French ultralight trike designed and produced by Aquilair of Theizé. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.[1]

Design and development

The aircraft was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category, including the category's maximum gross weight of 4500NaN0. The aircraft has a maximum gross weight of 3000NaN0. It features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a single-seat open cockpit, tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.

The aircraft is made from metal tubing, with its wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 9.91NaN1 span Star 12 wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar. The standard powerplant is a twin cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke, dual-ignition 500NaN0 Rotax 503 engine, with the 400NaN0 Rotax 447 and the 640NaN0 liquid-cooled Rotax 582 optional.

With the Star 12 wing the aircraft has an empty weight of 1320NaN0 and a gross weight of 3000NaN0, giving a useful load of 1680NaN0. With full fuel of the payload is 1460NaN0.

The aircraft is supplied in modular form, with the chassis, engine, reduction drive and propeller all available separately. A number of different wings can be fitted to the basic carriage, but the Star 12 was formerly the standard wing offered. The chassis incorporates an under-seat pivot system that allows the wing to be mounted and then raised into position.

Variants

Kid 447
  • Aircraft with the twin cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke, single-ignition 400NaN0 Rotax 447 and the 640NaN0
    Kid 503
  • Aircraft with the twin cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke, dual-ignition 500NaN0 Rotax 503 engine
    Kid 582
  • Aircraft with the twin cylinder, liquid-cooled, two-stroke, dual-ignition 640NaN0 Rotax 582 engine

    Notes and References

    1. Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 205. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X