Rainbow Cheetah
South African ultralight aircraft
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Rainbow Cheetah is a South African ultralight and light-sport aircraft, designed by Vladimir Chechin and produced by Rainbow Aircraft. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.[1]
| Cheetah | |
|---|---|
| |
| General information | |
| Type | Ultralight aircraft and Light-sport aircraft |
National origin | South Africa |
| Manufacturer | Rainbow Aircraft |
| Designer | Vladimir Chechin |
| Status | In production (2012) |
| History | |
Developed from | Best Off Skyranger |
| Variant | Rainbow Cheetah XLS |
Design and development
The aircraft was derived from the Best Off Skyranger[1] and designed to comply with Canadian Advanced Ultralight criteria and the US light-sport aircraft rules. It features a strut-braced high-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit with optional doors for access, fixed tricycle landing gear or optionally conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.[1][2]
The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its flying surfaces covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 9.6 m (31.5 ft) span wing has an area of 13.25 m2 (142.6 sq ft) and mounts flaps. Standard engines available are the 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 two-stroke, the 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL and the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS four-stroke powerplants.[1]
The Cheetah XLS has been accepted by Transport Canada as an Advanced Ultralight as both a land plane and seaplane, powered by the Rotax 582 two-stroke, the Rotax 912UL, the Rotax 912ULS, the Verner VM133 and the 85 hp (63 kW) Jabiru 2200A engines.[3]
Operational history
By August 2012 there were three Cheetahs on the Federal Aviation Administration registry and two on the Transport Canada Civil Aircraft Register.[4][5]
Variants
Specifications (Cheetah XLS)
Data from Bayerl and manufacturer[1][8]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Capacity: one passenger
- Length: 5.67 m (18 ft 7 in)
- Wingspan: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
- Height: 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) to top of wing
- Wing area: 13.25 m2 (142.6 sq ft)
- Aspect ratio: 7.01
- Empty weight: 248 kg (547 lb)
- Gross weight: 560 kg (1,235 lb)
- Fuel capacity: 100 litres (22 imp gal; 26 US gal)
- Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 912UL four cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke aircraft engine, 60 kW (80 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 177 km/h (110 mph, 96 kn)
- Cruise speed: 135 km/h (84 mph, 73 kn)
- Stall speed: 56 km/h (35 mph, 30 kn) flaps down
- Never exceed speed: 201 km/h (125 mph, 109 kn)
- Range: 1,080 km (670 mi, 580 nmi) with reserves
- Endurance: 7.5 hours
- g limits: +6g/-4g
- Maximum glide ratio: 10:1
- Rate of climb: 5.3 m/s (1,040 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 42.3 kg/m2 (8.7 lb/sq ft)
