Falconar F11 Sporty Explained

The Falconar F11 Sporty is a Canadian amateur-built aircraft, that was designed by Chris Falconar and produced by Falconar Avia. Falconar supplied it as a kit or as plans for amateur construction. Today both the F11A and E models are available as plans from Manna Aviation.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Design and development

The F11 is a variant of the Jodel D11. Falconar indicated that it incorporates a larger cockpit, simplified fittings, shoulder harnesses and aerodynamic improvements to improve stall characteristics.[6]

Hans Teijgeler of Jodel.com says that the F11 varies from the D11 by using a new wing design, with new simplified spar and rib design and the dihedral point moved inboard, allowing the outer portion to fold for ground transport or storage, but at the cost of added weight. Teijgeler describes the wing as "less efficient". Teijgeler also notes that the F11 uses larger and heavier engines with higher fuel consumption. Teijgeler says of the Falconar F11, "the Falconar 'Jodel' should not be looked upon as a Jodel, but as a Falconar. This is [n]either good or bad. Just a fact to take into account"[7]

The F11 features a cantilever low-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit that is 400NaN0 wide, fixed conventional landing gear, or optionally tricycle landing gear, and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The aircraft is made from wood, with its flying surfaces covered in doped aircraft fabric. Its 27.31NaN1 span wing has an area of 138square feet and optionally can mount flaps. The aircraft's recommended engine power range is 65to and engines that have been used include the 1000NaN0 Continental O-200, the 650NaN0 Continental A-65, the 100to Lycoming O-235, the 125to Lycoming O-290, the 65to Franklin 4AC, 65to Volkswagen air-cooled engine four-strokes and the 1100NaN0 Hirth F-30 two-stroke powerplant. Construction time from the supplied kit varies depending on the model built.

The F11 was later developed into the larger Falconar F12A Cruiser, a two-seater with an option of a third seat.

Operational history

By November 2012, 20 examples had been registered with Transport Canada, 13 in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration and two with the CAA in the United Kingdom.[8] [9] [10]

Variants

F11A Sporty
  • Initial model with an empty weight of 7850NaN0 and a gross weight of 13000NaN0. Construction time from the supplied kit is 1200 hours. One hundred reported completed and flown by 2011. Options for this model include flaps, vertical coil spring main landing gear, tricycle gear, auxiliary fuel tanks, a three piece folding wing and floats for water operations.
    F11E Sporty
  • Lightened model introduced in 1987 for the Canadian basic ultralight category with an empty weight of 5600NaN0 and a gross weight of 11000NaN0. Construction time from the supplied kit is 1000 hours. One reported completed and flown by 2011

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Vandermeullen, Richard: 2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 52. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
    2. Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, page 155 & 157. BAI Communications.
    3. Web site: Notification of Closure. 4 July 2019. Falconar Avia . falconaravia.com. 30 June 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190704172308/http://falconaravia.com/. 4 July 2019.
    4. Web site: Falconar F11E Plans. 4 July 2019. Manna Aviation. mannaaviation.com. 2019. 3 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190703054707/http://mannaaviation.com/Falconar-Aircraft-Plans/F-11E-plans. dead.
    5. Web site: Falconar F11A Plans. 4 July 2019. Manna Aviation. mannaaviation.com. 2019. 3 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190703115619/http://mannaaviation.com/Falconar-Aircraft-Plans/F-11A-plans. dead.
    6. Web site: F Series. 8 November 2012. Falconar Avia. 1 July 2012.
    7. Web site: Falconar Jodels . 8 November 2012 . Jodel.com . n.d. . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20120205121323/http://www.jodel.com/index.asp?p=falconar&themodels . 5 February 2012 .
    8. Web site: Make / Model Inquiry Results. 8 November 2012. Federal Aviation Administration. 8 November 2012.
    9. Web site: Canadian Civil Aircraft Register . 8 November 2012 . . 8 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110718042755/http://wwwapps2.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/ccarcs/aspscripts/en/quicksearch.asp . 18 July 2011 .
    10. Web site: GINFO Search Results Summary. 8 November 2012. Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom). 8 November 2012.

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