Sorrell Hiperlight
{{Short description|American ultralight biplane}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2022}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=Hiperlight | image=SorrellHiperlight.jpg | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Ultralight aircraft | national origin=United States | manufacturer=Thunderbird Aviation | designer=Sorrell brothers | first flight=1982 | introduced=1982 | retired= | status=In production | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built=603 (SNS-8, Dec 2011) | developed from= Sorrell Hiperbipe | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Sorrell Hiperlight is a family of single and two seat, negative stagger biplanes, designed for amateur construction.Vandermeullen, Richard: 2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 72. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page B-30 and B-83. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|0-9680628-1-4}}Downey, Julia: 1999 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 69. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Downey, Julia: 2002 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 18, Number 12, December 2001, page 69. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Downey, Julia: 2008 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 75. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
The design was sold initially by Sunrise Aircraft of Sheridan, Oregon and as of May 2022 was produced by Thunderbird Aviation of Ray, Michigan.{{Cite web|url = http://www.thunderbirdaviationmi.com/sns-8.html|title = Thunderbird Aviation|accessdate = 4 October 2010|last = Jones|first = Ron|year = 2009}}
Development
The single seat SNS-8 Hiperlight was designed by the Sorrell brothers in 1982 at the request of the US Rotax engine distributor to provide an enclosed cockpit aircraft design to utilize the {{convert|28|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 277 engine. The resulting aircraft was a scaled-down version of the very successful Sorrell Hiperbipe aerobatic cabin biplane and with an empty weight of {{convert|247|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} fit the US ultralight category. The series designation of "SNS" stands for Sorrell Negative Stagger.{{cite web|url = http://www.auf.asn.au/students/thumb28.html |title = Sorrell Hiperlight|accessdate = 18 April 2010|last = Recreational Aviation Australia |date=December 2003}}
The aircraft is described as easy to fly, with light control forces and well balanced controls. The aircraft has full-span ailerons on the bottom wing that droop together when the stick is pulled back, giving the same effect as flaps in the landing flare.
{{convert|28|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} is sufficient to power the design and it does not require larger engines. Since the Rotax 277 has been out of production for many years engines such as the 2si 460 or Hirth F-33 are often used.
Design
The aircraft features a welded steel tube forward fuselage, with a detachable aluminium tube aft fuselage. The rear fuselage can be easily removed for transport or storage in ten minutes. The wings are also constructed from aluminium tubes and the whole aircraft is covered in aircraft fabric. The SNS-8 has a maximum pilot weight of {{convert|230|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}.
The SNS-8 kit was estimated as taking 200–300 hours to assemble.
Sunrise Aircraft developed the single seat SNS-8 into the SNS-9 two-seater. The SNS-9 is minimally larger with a wingspan of {{convert|23.4|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} versus the SNS-8's {{convert|22|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}, length increased from {{convert|15.6|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} to {{convert|18|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} and gross weight increased from {{convert|500|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} to {{convert|814|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}. The SNS-9 uses the {{convert|50|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 503 as its standard powerplant and had an optional Wankel engine available.
Variants
;SNS-8
;SNS-9
;Hiperlight EXP{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}}
;EXP II{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}}
Specifications (SNS-8)
{{Aircraft specs
|prime units?=imp
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|crew=one
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|length ft=15
|length in=6
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|span ft=22
|span in=0
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|height ft=5
|height in=4
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=140
|wing area note=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=247
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=500
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
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|fuel capacity=5 US gallons (19 litres)
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Rotax 277
|eng1 type=single cylinder two stroke piston aircraft engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=28
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|max speed mph=98
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|cruise speed mph=60
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|stall speed mph=27
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|range miles=180
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|climb rate ftmin=600
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See also
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References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.thunderbirdaviationmi.com/sns-8.html/}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080528170520/http://www.hiperlightaircraft.com/ Thunderbird Aviation archives] on Archive.org
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20101128203031/http://pilotmix.com/ac_images/385_4b13b93897387916d92bd5ae7b635eda.jpg Photo of SNS-9 Hiperlight]
{{Sorrell Aviation}}
Category:Biplanes with negative stagger
Category:1980s United States ultralight aircraft
Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft