The Huntwing was designed to comply with the British BCAR Section S microlight category. It was first flown in 1982 and introduced commercially in 1992. It features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a two-seats-in-tandem open cockpit with a cockpit fairing, tricycle landing gear with wheel pants and a single engine in pusher configuration.[2]
The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminium tubing, with its 75% double surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. The 33.41NaN1 span wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost, uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar, has a nose angle of 121°, 24 top and six bottom battens and has a wing area of 161square feet. The acceptable power range is 50to and the standard powerplants used include the twin cylinder, liquid-cooled, two-stroke 520NaN0 Rotax 462 snowmobile engine, the twin cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke 500NaN0 Rotax 503 aircraft engine and the twin cylinder, liquid-cooled, two-stroke, dual-ignition 640NaN0 Rotax 582 powerplant. The BMW R100RS four-stroke motorcycle engine can also be fitted.[3] [4] [5]
The plans wing is built by the amateur-builder and fitted with a Top Flight Sails sail. Alternatively a Mainair Blade wing can be used.[2] [5]
The manufacturer estimates the construction time from the supplied plans as 500 hours.[4]
The designers says that 10 sets of plans have been shipped and about 20 aircraft completed and flown.[5]
In May 2015 eleven examples were registered in the United Kingdom with the Civil Aviation Authority.[6]