Flylight Dragonfly
{{Short description|British ultralight trike}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2022}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=Dragonfly | image=Flylight Dragonfly G-CILV (34453099195).jpg | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Ultralight trike | national origin=United Kingdom | manufacturer=Flylight Airsports | designer=Ben Ashman | first flight=2007 | introduced=2008 | retired= | status=In production (2013) | primary user= | more users= | produced= 2008-present | number built= | developed from= | variants with their own articles=Flylight Motorfloater }} |
The Flylight Dragonfly is a British ultralight trike, designed by Ben Ashman and produced by Flylight Airsports of Northamptonshire. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 212. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
Development of the Dragonfly started in 2007 with the aircraft entering series production in 2008.{{cite web |url=http://www.flylight.co.uk/flexwing/dragonfly.htm |title=Flylight Airsports Ltd. – Flexwing Microlights |publisher=Flylight.co.uk |accessdate=2013-07-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140216125736/http://www.flylight.co.uk/flexwing/dragonfly.htm |archive-date=16 February 2014 |url-status=dead }}
Design and development
The Dragonfly was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category, the UK Single-Seat De-Regulation (SSDR) guidelines, as well as the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules. It features a strut-braced Aeros Discus hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a single-seat open cockpit, retractable tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.
The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its double surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its {{convert|10.3|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} span wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar. The powerplant is a single cylinder, air-cooled four-stroke, {{convert|22|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Bailey V4 200 engine, with the single cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke {{convert|33|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Simonini Mini-3 or {{convert|33|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Simonini Mini-2 engines optional.
With the Bailey engine and the Aeros Discus 15T wing the Dragonfly has an empty weight of {{convert|80|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} and a full fuel capacity of {{convert|20|L}}. With its manual, or optionally electrically retractable landing gear the aircraft can be folded up and ground transported in the trunk of a car.
A number of different wings can be fitted to the basic carriage, including Aeros Discus 15T, 14 and 12 as well as the Aeros Combat 12T.
Variants
:Electric aircraft version.
:Simplified model with single surface wing and fixed landing gear.
;Flylight Libelle
:High performance variant equipped with a single cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke {{convert|33|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Simonini Mini-3 engine and the "topless" strut-braced Aeros Combat 12T wing.
Specifications (Dragonfly)
{{Aircraft specs
|prime units?=met
|genhide=
|crew=one
|capacity=
|length m=
|length ft=
|length in=
|length note=
|span m=10.3
|span ft=
|span in=
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=14.7
|wing area sqft=
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=80
|empty weight lb=
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=
|gross weight note=
|fuel capacity={{convert|20|L}}
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Bailey V4 200
|eng1 type=single cylinder, air-cooled four-stroke, aircraft engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=22
|prop blade number=3
|prop name=Powerfin
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=100
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=57
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=38
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|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=2.5
|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=
|wing loading note=
|power/mass=
|thrust/weight=
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.flylight.co.uk/flexwing/dragonfly.htm}}
{{Flylight aircraft}}
Category:2000s British sport aircraft
Category:2000s British ultralight aircraft