Stellar Astra
{{Short description|American ultralight trike}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name= Astra | image= | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Ultralight trike | national origin=United States | manufacturer=Stellar Aircraft | designer=Allistair Wilson | first flight= | introduced= | retired= | status= Production completed | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built= | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Stellar Astra is an American ultralight trike that was designed by Allistair Wilson and produced by Stellar Aircraft of Bloomfield, Indiana. When it was available the aircraft was supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft. As of 2013 the company appears to be out of business and production complete.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 222. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
Design and development
The Astra was derived from a P&M Aviation trike design and intended to comply with the US light-sport aircraft category, although it does not appear on the Federal Aviation Administration's accepted LSA list.{{cite web|url = http://www.sportpilot.org/learn/slsa/|title = EAA's Listing of Special Light-Sport Aircraft|accessdate = 17 September 2013|last = Experimental Aircraft Association|year = 2013|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140228070151/http://sportpilot.org/learn/slsa|archivedate = 28 February 2014}}{{cite web|url = http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/gen_av/light_sport/media/SLSA_Directory.xls|title = SLSA Make/Model Directory|accessdate = 27 September 2013|last = Federal Aviation Administration|date = 15 July 2013}}
The Astra features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a two-seats-in-tandem open cockpit with a cockpit fairing, tricycle landing gear with wheel pants 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|34.4|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} span wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar. Powerplants that were factory available were the twin cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke, dual-ignition {{convert|50|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 503, the four cylinder, air and liquid-cooled, four-stroke, dual-ignition {{convert|80|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 912UL and {{convert|100|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 912ULS and the twin cylinder, air-cooled, four-stroke, dual-ignition {{convert|60|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} HKS 700E engine.
With the HKS powerplant the aircraft has an empty weight of {{convert|485|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} and a gross weight of {{convert|960|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}, giving a useful load of {{convert|475|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}.
The aircraft was produced under contract for Stellar Aircraft in India by Albatross Flying Systems, who also marketed the design in Asia as the Cruiser.
Specifications (Astra)
{{Aircraft specs
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=one
|capacity=one passenger
|length m=
|length ft=
|length in=
|length note=
|span m=10.5
|span ft=
|span in=
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|wing area sqm=15.6
|wing area sqft=
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=220
|empty weight lb=
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=435
|gross weight lb=
|gross weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=HKS 700E
|eng1 type=twin cylinder, air-cooled, four stroke aircraft engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=60
|prop blade number=3
|prop name=composite
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=125
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=100
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=60
|stall speed mph=
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|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=2.3
|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=27.9
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|power/mass=
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|avionics=
}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.astratrike.com Company website archives] at Archive.org
- [https://archive.today/20130904181456/http://www.softwingflight.com/uploads/YM/_X/YM_XUxtrxpGRx3hQvHROFA/Cnv0300.jpg Photo of the Stellar Astra]
Category:2000s United States sport aircraft
Category:2000s United States ultralight aircraft