Excalibur Aircraft Excalibur
{{Short description|American ultralight airplane}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=Excalibur | image=Excalibur Aircraft Excalibur N576CB.jpg | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Ultralight aircraft | national origin=United States | manufacturer=Excalibur Aircraft | designer= | first flight= | introduced=1993 | retired= | status= | primary user= | more users= | produced=1900 (by 2011) | number built= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Excalibur is an American two seats-in-tandem, high wing, pusher configuration ultralight aircraft that is manufactured in kit form for amateur construction, by Excalibur Aircraft of Sebring, Florida. It was introduced in 1993.Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page B-75. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|0-9680628-1-4}}Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, page 362. BAI Communications. {{ISBN|0-9636409-4-1}}{{cite web|url = http://www.excaliburaircraft.com/|title = Excalibur Experimental Light Sport Aircraft|accessdate = 2010-02-16|last = Excalibur Aircraft |authorlink = |year = n.d.}}Downey, Julia: 1999 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 45. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Downey, Julia: 2008 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 50. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Vandermeullen, Richard: 2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 51. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 48. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485XTacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 107. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. {{ISSN|1368-485X}}
The Excalibur is available in the US amateur-built and light-sport aircraft categories and in Canada in the amateur-built, BULA and AULA categories. In Europe it qualifies under the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight rules.{{cite web|url = http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/standards/general-ccarcs-advancedullist-2036.htm|title = Listing of Models Eligible to be Registered as Advanced Ultra-Light Aeroplanes (AULA)|accessdate = 2010-02-16|last = Transport Canada|authorlink = |date=January 2010}}
Design and development
The Excalibur was designed as "clone" of the Quad City Challenger II aircraft. The company took the basic Challenger design and incorporated many changes, including mounting the engine upright allowing larger propellers and the Rotax gearbox to be mounted, lengthening the tailboom and enlarging the tail vertical surface to increase stability, shortening the ailerons and replacing control cables with torque tubes. The optional Dacron covering on the Challenger was replaced with Superflite standard aircraft fabric, the fuselage was lengthened to give more backseat room and the nosecone was reduced in size to provide better over-the-nose visibility. The design was also streamlined to reduce drag and round cross-section wing struts were replaced with aerodynamic extrusions. The Challenger's rigid landing gear was replaced with a bungee-suspended system.
Regarding the landing gear improvements reviewer Andre Cliche, author of the Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide, said:
{{cquote|the Excalibur features a bungee suspension on mainwheels. That's an improvement over the Challenger whose rigid main gear tubes kinked too many times during rough landings. A suspension on mainwheels will certainly be appreciated by instructors who leave their machines in the hands of novice pilots. }}
Variants
;Excalibur
:Basic model with {{convert|50|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 503, {{convert|64|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 582, {{convert|70|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Hirth 3503, {{convert|65|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Hirth 3203 or the {{convert|55|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Hirth 3202 two-stroke engines. 750 completed and flown by the end of 2011.{{cite web|url = http://www.excaliburaircraft.com/engines.html|title = Engines|accessdate = 2010-02-16|last = Excalibur Aircraft |authorlink = |year = n.d.}}
;Excalibur Four Stroke
:Model with HKS 700E {{convert|60|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} or {{convert|80|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Jabiru 2200 {{convert|80|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} four-stroke engines. 400 completed and flown by the end of 2011.
;Excalibur Wide Body (Stretch)
:Model with wider fuselage, also called the Excalibur Stretch. 750 completed and flown by the end of 2011.
Specifications (Excalibur)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Kitplanes and Excalibur{{cite web|url = http://www.excaliburaircraft.com/specs.html|title = Specs|accessdate = 2010-02-16|last = Excalibur Aircraft |authorlink = |year = n.d.}}
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=one
|capacity=one passenger
|length m=
|length ft=20
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|span ft=31
|span in=6
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|height ft=6
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|wing area sqft=185
|wing area note=
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|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=450
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=950
|gross weight note=
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|fuel capacity=10 US gal (38 litres)
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Rotax 503
|eng1 type=twin cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=50
|eng1 kn=
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|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=80
|cruise speed kts=
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|stall speed mph=33
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|range km=
|range miles=290
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|g limits=+6/-4 (ultimate load limits)
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|climb rate ftmin=1200
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See also
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References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.excaliburaircraft.com/}}
Category:1990s United States ultralight aircraft
Category:Single-engined pusher aircraft