Skyhigh Skybaby

The aircraft was designed to comply with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules, including the category's maximum empty weight of 254 lb (115 kg). The aircraft has a standard empty weight of 155 lb (70 kg). It features a cable-braced high-wing, a single-seat, open cockpit, conventional landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.^[1][2]

The aircraft is made from wood. The fuselage is built around a wooden torsion box that is foam-filled for stiffness. The tailboom is a 3 in (8 cm) diameter 6061-T6 aluminum tube. Its 32 ft (9.8 m) span wing is constructed from Douglas fir spars and wing ribs, covered with doped aircraft fabric. The wing features half-span ailerons and cable-bracing from a single kingpost. The pilot is accommodated in the open cockpit on a fixed seat. There is no windshield. The landing gear is bungee suspended and the tail wheel is steerable.^[1][2]

Being a plans-built aircraft a variety of engines have been installed, including the McCulloch MAC-101 powerplant of 12.5 hp (9 kW) and the Yamaha KT-100 go-cart engine of 15 hp (11 kW).^[1][2]

Data from Cliche and the Virtual Ultralight Museum^[1][2]

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Length: 17 ft (5.2 m)
• Wingspan: 32 ft (9.8 m)
• Height: 6 ft (1.8 m)
• Wing area: 128 sq ft (11.9 m²)
• Empty weight: 155 lb (70 kg)
• Gross weight: 360 lb (163 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 3 U.S. gallons (11 L; 2.5 imp gal)
• Powerplant: 1 × McCulloch MAC-101 , 12.5 hp (9.3 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 40 mph (64 km/h, 35 kn)
• Cruise speed: 35 mph (56 km/h, 30 kn)
• Stall speed: 24 mph (39 km/h, 21 kn)
• Never exceed speed: 50 mph (80 km/h, 43 kn)
• g limits: +5/-3
• Maximum glide ratio: 9:1
• Rate of climb: 225 ft/min (1.14 m/s)