Azalea Saberwing
{{Short description|American amateur-built aircraft}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name= Saberwing | image=Azalea Saberwing N120SW.jpg | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Amateur-built aircraft | national origin=United States | manufacturer=Azalea Aviation | designer= | first flight= | introduced=2015 | retired= | status=In production (2020) | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built=four (2020) | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Azalea Saberwing, named for the species of hummingbird, is an American amateur-built aircraft, designed and produced by Azalea Aviation of Adel, Georgia, introduced at Sun 'n Fun in 2015. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 101. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. {{ISSN|1368-485X}}
Design and development
The Saberwing features a cantilever low-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, fixed conventional landing gear or optionally tricycle landing gear, with wheel pants and a single engine in tractor configuration.
The aircraft is made from a composite-foam sandwich with the wing spars and wing ribs made from a wood-composite sandwich. The design has been optimized for a low parts-count to simplify construction. Its {{convert|26|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} span wing, has an area of {{convert|92|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} and mounts flaps. The cabin is {{convert|43|in|cm|0|abbr=on}} in width. The standard engine used is the in-house developed {{convert|100|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Spyder Corvair automotive conversion four-stroke powerplant.{{cite web|url = http://www.azaleaaviation.com/SWNumbers.htm|title = The Saberwing - By the Numbers|accessdate = 1 April 2017|author=Azalea Aviation |work = azaleaaviation.com|year=2013}}
The manufacturer estimates that building the aircraft from the supplied kit requires 500-1,000 hours of labor at a total completion cost of US$40,000-50,000.{{cite web|url = http://www.azaleaaviation.com/Saberwing.htm|title = The Saberwing|accessdate = 1 April 2017|author=Azalea Aviation |work = azaleaaviation.com|year=2013}}{{cite web |author=Azalea Aviation |year=2013 |title=The Saberwing - Pricing |url=https://www.azaleaaviation.com/kits.html#pricing |accessdate=17 April 2025 |work=azaleaaviation.com}}
Operational history
Reviewers Roy Beisswenger and Marino Boric described the design in a 2015 review as "sleek" and "elegant".
By September 2020, four examples had been registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration.{{cite web|url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=&Modeltxt=SABERWING&PageNo=1|title = Make / Model Inquiry Results|accessdate = 9 September 2020|last = Federal Aviation Administration|date = 9 September 2020}}
Specifications (Saberwing)
{{Aircraft specs
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=one
|capacity=one passenger
|length m=
|length ft=20
|length in=
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=26
|span in=
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=92
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=750
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=1500
|gross weight note=
|fuel capacity={{convert|40|u.s.gal}}
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Spyder Corvair automotive conversion
|eng1 type=six cylinder, air-cooled, four stroke automotive engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=100
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=fixed pitch
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=150
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=45
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=flaps down
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=200
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=
|ceiling note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|glide ratio=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|sink rate ms=
|sink rate ftmin=
|sink rate note=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=16.3
|wing loading note=
|power/mass=
|thrust/weight=
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.azaleaaviation.com/}}
- [https://www.azaleaaviation.com/images/Saberwing_over_water.JPG Photo of the prototype Saberwing]
Category:2010s United States sport aircraft