LEAF Trike
{{Short description|American ultralight trike}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=Trike | image= | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Ultralight trike | national origin=United States | manufacturer=Leading Edge Air Foils | designer= | first flight= | introduced= | retired= | status=Production completed | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built= | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The LEAF Trike is an American ultralight trike that was designed and produced by Leading Edge Air Foils in the 1980s. The aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page E-48. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|0-9680628-1-4}}
Design and development
The aircraft was designed to comply with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules, including the category's maximum empty weight of {{convert|254|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}. The Trike has a standard empty weight of {{convert|149|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}, plus the weight of the wing. It is a very minimalist design and features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a single-seat, open cockpit, tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.
The aircraft frame is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its hang glider wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. The kit was supplied without a wing as any suitable hang glider wing can be used, provided it has adequate gross weight for the pilot and the carriage. The LEAF Talon 215 wing was recommended for the aircraft. The aircraft's gross weight and performance depends on the type of wing used.
The carriage design features a cable in place of the usual front tube, to allows easier folding for ground transportation. The landing gear uses {{convert|20|in|cm|0|abbr=on}} main wheels and a steerable {{convert|16|in|cm|0|abbr=on}} nose wheel. The powerplant was normally a Cuyuna UL-II-02 of {{convert|35|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} with a 2:1 reduction drive or optionally a Cuyuna 430 of {{convert|30|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}}.
The Trike was later replaced in the LEAF product line by the LEAF Tukan.Raisner, William: LEAF catalog, page 416. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995.
Specifications (typical Trike)
{{Aircraft specs
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=one
|capacity=
|length m=
|length ft=7.4
|length in=
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=
|span in=
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=8.3
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=149
|empty weight note=plus the weight of the selected wing
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=500
|gross weight note=approximately
|fuel capacity={{convert|5|u.s.gal}}
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Cuyuna UL-II-02
|eng1 type=twin cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=35
|prop blade number=
|prop name=
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=45
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=32
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=24
|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=
|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=
}}
{{aircontent
|see also=
|related=
|similar aircraft=
|lists=
}}