Paxman Viper Explained

The Paxman Viper is a Canadian homebuilt aircraft that was designed by Elbert Paxman and produced by Paxman's Northern Aircraft of Glenwood, Alberta, introduced in 1994. When it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.[1]

Design and development

The Viper was designed for the Canadian advanced ultralight category. It features a cantilever low-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, fixed conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.[2]

The aircraft airframe is made from wood, covered in doped aircraft fabric. Its 271NaN1 span wing has a wing area of 102square feet. The acceptable power range is 65to and the standard engine used is a 1000NaN0 Suzuki automotive conversion powerplant.

The Viper has a typical empty weight of 585lb and a gross weight of 1050lb, giving a useful load of 465lb. With full fuel of the payload for the pilot, passenger and baggage is 363lb.

The standard day, sea level, no wind, take off with a 1000NaN0 engine is 3000NaN0 and the landing roll is 4000NaN0.

The manufacturer estimated the construction time from the supplied kit as 500 hours.

Operational history

By 1998 the company reported that one kit had been sold, was completed and flying.

In January 2014 one example was registered with Transport Canada.[3]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition, page 218. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998.
  2. Web site: Listing of Models Eligible to be Registered as Advanced Ultra-Light Aeroplanes (AULA). 25 January 2014. Transport Canada. 30 December 2013.
  3. Web site: Canadian Civil Aircraft Register. 25 January 2014. Transport Canada. 25 January 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110718042755/http://wwwapps2.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/ccarcs/aspscripts/en/quicksearch.asp. 18 July 2011.