Flylight E-Dragon
| E-Dragon | |
|---|---|
| Role | Ultralight trike |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Flylight Airsports |
| Designer | Ben Ashman |
| Status | Under development (2011) |
| Developed from | Flylight Dragonfly |
The Flylight E-Dragon is a British electric ultralight trike, designed by Ben Ashman and prototyped by Flylight Airsports of Northamptonshire. The aircraft was under development in 2011.[1]
Design and development[edit]
The aircraft was developed from the Flylight Dragonfly single place, retractable landing gear trike. The E-Dragon features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a single-seat open cockpit without a cockpit fairing, retractable tricycle landing gear and a single electric motor in pusher configuration.[1]
The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its double surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 10.3 m (33.8 ft) span wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar. The powerplant is a 10 kW (13 hp) Geiger HP Direct 10 electric motor powering a folding 140 cm (55 in) propeller. The power source is a 2.6 kWh Lithium ion battery, which provides a normal flight duration of 30 minutes or 15 minutes at full power.[1]
A number of different engines have been tested, including an E-Lift 10 kW (13 hp) plus an electric powerplant of 13.5 kW (18 hp). The prototype used an Aeros Discus wing.[1]
Specifications (E-Dragon)[edit]
Data from Bayerl[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Wingspan: 10.3 m (33 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 14.7 m2 (158 sq ft)
- Powerplant: 1 × Geiger HP Direct 10 electric aircraft engine with a 2.6 kWh Lithium Ion battery, 9.7 kW (13 hp)
- Propellers: 2-bladed folding composite
Performance
- Maximum speed: 95 km/h (59 mph, 51 kn)
- Cruise speed: 70 km/h (43 mph, 38 kn)
- Endurance: 30 minutes at normal power
- Rate of climb: 2.3 m/s (450 ft/min)
