Pioneer International Flightstar
Flight Designs 440ST
The machine has been developed by Flight Designs, an associate of Pioneer Internation-al Corporation and the firm which builds and sells the single-seat Jetwing ATV, as well as conducting a research programme on a prototype single-seat three-axis machine de-signated 440ST However, at the start of 1983, Andrew N Bohjalian, group president, announced that production and sales of the FlightStar would be taken over by a new associate company called Pioneer Interna-tional Aircraft. The Pioneer group is well known for its activities in aerospace industry, and includes the Pioneer Parachute Company, which is one of the world leaders in its field. So it is not surprising to find that the FlightStar has been designed from the start to accommodate an emergency 29.0 ft diameter (8.84 m) parachute, which is deployed ballistically and fitted behind the pilot at the rear of the frame.
The aircraft is sold as a complete kit requiring 20 h for assembly and at a price of $7495 in 1983. Apart from the parachute, options offered are floats, skis, wheel fairings, electric starter for the Kawasaki TA440A engine, larger diameter wheels (16 and 20 inch, 41 and 51 cm), transport covers and an instrument panel.
The Flight Designs 440 ST was a single-seat single-engined high-wing mono-plane with conventional three-axis control. Wing has unswept leading edge, swept forward trailing edge and tapering chord; two-fin tail. Pitch control by elevator on tail; yaw control by fin-mounted rudders; roll control by spoilers; control inputs through stick for pitch/roll and pedals for yaw. Wing braced from above by kingpost and cables, from below by cables. Undercarriage has three wheels in tricycle formation. Aluminium-tube framework, without pod. Engine mounted at wing height driving pusher propeller.
This single-seat twin-boom, twin-rudder aircraft exists only as a prototype in 1982, and was being used at Flight Designs to study the flight envelope of such machines.
Single-seat single-engined high-wing monoplane with conventional three-axis control. Wing has unswept leading edge, swept forward trailing edge and tapering chord; con-ventional tail. Pitch control by elevator on tail; yaw control by fin-mounted rudder; roll control by full-span ailerons; control inputs through stick for pitch/roll and pedals for yaw. Wing braced from below by struts; wing profile; double-surface. Undercarriage has three wheels in tricycle formation, with additional tailskid; bungee suspension on all wheels. Flush-right go-right nosewheel steering connected to yaw control. Aluminium-tube framework, with optional pod. Engine mounted at wing height driving tractor propeller.
Shown at Oshkosh in August 1982, the prototype FlightStar made its first flights during that summer. It carried trapezoidal planform ailerons, whose chord tapered toward the wing tips and which covered a little less than the full span of each wing, but these have been replaced for the production machines by full-span ailerons. In addition, the production FlightStar, on show at Sun 'n' Fun in Lakeland, Florida in March 1983, was fitted with a glassfibre pod with a windscreen mounted on top and going right up to the strut carrying the wing.
440 ST
Engine: Kawasaki TA440A, 38.5 hp at 6000 rpm
Power per unit area 0.26hp/sq.ft, 2.9hp/sq.m
Fuel capacity 5.0 US gal, 4.2 Imp gal, 18.9 litre
Length overall 18.8 ft, 5.69 m
Height overall 8.3ft, 2.51m
Wing span 34.0ft, 10.36m
Sweepback 0 deg
Total wing area 144 sq.ft, 13.4 sq.m
Wing aspect ratio 8.0/1
Empty weight 218 lb, 99kg
Max take-off weight 529 lb, 240 kg
Payload 311 lb, 141 kg
Max wing loading 3.67 lb/sq.ft, 17.9 kg/sq.m
Max power loading 13.7 lb/hp, 6.2kg/hp
Load factors; +6.0, -4.0 ultimate
Max level speed 60 mph, 97 kph
Max cruising speed 50 mph, 80kph
Stalling speed 22mph, 35kph
Max climb rate at sea level 950ft/min, 4.8m/s
Take-off distance 60ft, 18m
Landing distance 50ft, 15m
Range at average cruising speed 240 mile, 386 km
FlightStar
Engine: Kawasaki TA440A, 38.5hp at 6000rpm
Propeller diameter and pitch 58x27 inch, 1.47 x 0.68 m
Belt reduction, ratio 2.0/1
Max static thrust 270 lb, 122kg
Power per unit area 0.25hp/sq.ft, 2.9hp/sq.m
Fuel capacity 5.0 US gal, 4.2 Imp gal, 18.9 litre
Length overall 16.5 ft, 5.03 m
Height overall 7.5ft, 2.29m
Wing span 30.0ft, 9.14m
Chord at root 4.8ft, 1.46m
Chord at tip 4.5ft, 1.37m
Dihedral 2.5 deg
Sweepback 0 deg
Tailplane span 8.2 ft, 2.50 m
Fin height 4.0 ft, 1.22 m
Total wing area 144 sq.ft, 13.4 sq.m
Total aileron area 26.0 sq.ft, 2.41 sq.m
Fin area 5.0sq.ft, 0.46 sq.m
Rudder area 7.0 sq.ft, 0.65 sq.m
Tail-plane area 10.0sq.ft, 0.93sq.m
Total elevator area 11.0sq.ft, 1.02 sq.m
Wing aspect ratio 6.3/1
Wheel track 5.1 ft, 1.55 m
Wheelbase 6.0 ft, 1.83 m
Nosewheel diameter overall 10 inch, 25 cm
Main wheels diameter overall 10 inch, 25 cm
Empty weight 247 lb, 112kg
Max take-off weight 500 lb, 227kg
Payload 253 lb, 115kg
Max wing loading 3.47 lb/sq.ft, 16.9kg/sq.m
Max power loading 13.0 lb/hp, 5.9kg/hp
Load factors +6.0, -4.0 design; +7.8, ulti-mate
Max level speed 64 mph, 103 kph
Never exceed speed 75 mph, 121 kph
Max cruising speed 55 mph, 88 kph
Economic cruising speed 50 mph, 80 kph
Stalling speed 25 mph, 40 kph
Max climb rate at sea level 850 ft/min, 4.3 m/s
Min sink rate 350 ft/min at 30 mph, 1.7 m/s at 48 kph
Best glide ratio with power off 7.1/1 at 35mph, 56 kph
Take-off distance 100 ft, 30 m
Land-ing distance 100ft, 30m
Service ceiling 10,000ft, 3050 m
Range at average cruising speed 50 mile, 80 km
