Sport Flight Talon
| {{Infobox Aircraft Begin
| name=Sport Flight Talon | image=Sport Flight Talon XP.jpg | caption=Talon XP }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type | type=Kit aircraft | national origin=United States | manufacturer=Sport Flight Aviation | designer= | first flight= | introduced=1989 | retired= | status=Production completed | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built= | program cost= | unit cost= US$39,750 (2015, TalonXP HKS engine) | developed from= Maxair Drifter | variants with their own articles=Advanced Aviation Explorer }} |
The Sport Flight Talon is a high-wing, pusher configuration single-engine, conventional landing gear homebuilt aircraft or ultralight aircraft, that was produced by Sport Flight Aviation of Sandy, Oregon in kit form for amateur construction.Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page B-59. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|0-9680628-1-4}}Downey, Julia: 2008 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 73. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, page 256. BAI Communications. {{ISBN|0-9636409-4-1}}Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, page 162. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X{{Cite web|url = http://www.sport-flight.com/prices.html|archive-url = https://archive.today/20080704165903/http://www.sport-flight.com/prices.html|url-status = usurped|archive-date = July 4, 2008|title = Pricing|accessdate = 21 January 2011|last = Sport Flight Aviation|authorlink = |year = n.d.}}Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 127. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. {{ISSN|1368-485X}}
The aircraft is no longer offered on the company website and seems to be out of production.{{cite web|url = http://www.sport-flight.com/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/19981212032953/http://www.sport-flight.com/|url-status = usurped|archive-date = December 12, 1998|title = Recreational Flying You Can Enjoy|accessdate = 28 January 2017|author=Sport Flight Aviation|year = 2017}}
Design and development
The Talon was developed from the Maxair Drifter and introduced into the market in 1989. The aircraft shares the Drifter's main fuselage tube, used as the aircraft's spine. The rudder pedals attach to the front of the tube, the seat and wing support structure to the center and the tail to the rear of the tube. The main improvements over the original Drifter include strut-braced wings with jury struts, flaps, streamlined baggage area, optional enclosed cockpit, wheel pants and brakes. The addition of many options and extras over the basic Drifter design means that the Talon cannot be constructed in the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles category, due to exceeding the maximum {{convert|254|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} category empty weight and must instead be registered as a homebuilt aircraft in the USA. In other countries, such as Canada, the Talon fits the ultralight or microlight aircraft category.
The aircraft's structure is made from 6061-T6 aluminum, with the main landing gear struts of 4130 steel. The aluminum frame wing is covered in pre-sewn Dacron envelopes. Construction time from the kit is reported as 120 hours.
The basic Talon design has been developed into a series of single and tandem two seaters, with varying powerplants.
Variants
;Talon Magnum
:Single seat model, power range {{convert|40|to|70|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}}, standard engine HKS 700E of {{convert|60|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}}. Optional engines include the {{convert|40|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 447, the {{convert|50|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 503 and the {{convert|64|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 582. Twenty had been constructed by December 2007.
;Talon XP
:Two-seats-in-tandem model, power range {{convert|40|to|80|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}}, standard engine HKS 700E of {{convert|60|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}}. Optional engines include the {{convert|40|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 447, the {{convert|50|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 503 and the {{convert|64|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 582. This model has an increased wingspan of {{convert|28.5|ft|m|2|abbr=on}}. Seventy had been constructed by December 2007.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 120. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
;Talon Super Magnum
:Single model, standard engine Rotax 582 of {{convert|64|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}}, with the {{convert|40|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 447 or the {{convert|50|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 503 optional. This model is the XP model with the rear seat area converted into additional baggage space. It has an increased wingspan of {{convert|28.5|ft|m|2|abbr=on}}. Fits the FAI microlight class.
;Talon Typhoon
:Single seat aerobatic model.
Specifications (Talon XP)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Talon XP Preliminary Assembly ManualBitton, Roger; et al: Sport Flight Aviation, LLC; Talon XP Preliminary Assembly Manual; Revision: 10/20/1996-b, pages 9-14. 20051 S.E. Tickle Creek Road, Boring OR. Note: the official manual provides conflicting wingspans, the correct one was verrified from the actual aircraft.
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=one
|capacity=one passenger
|length m=
|length ft=21
|length in=7
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=28
|span in=10
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=146
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=555
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=1000
|gross weight note=
|fuel capacity=10.5 US Gallons (39.5 litres)
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Rotax 582UL
|eng1 type=two stroke aircraft engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=64
|prop blade number=3
|prop name=ground adjustable
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=68
|prop note=
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|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=65
|cruise speed kts=
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|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=37
|stall speed kts=
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|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=90
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=130
|range nmi=
|range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=
|ceiling note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|glide ratio=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=900
|climb rate note=
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|sink rate note=
|lift to drag=
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}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.sport-flight.com/}}