Pterodactyl Ptiger

Single-seat single-engined high-wing monoplane with conventional three-axis control. Wing has swept back leading and trailing edges, and tapering chord; no tall, canard wing. Pitch control by fully flying canard; 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; wing profile Klaus Hill (Fledgling); double-surface. Undercarriage has three wheels in tricycle formation; glass-fibre suspension on all wheels. Ground steering by differential braking. Brakes on main wheels. Aluminium-tube/glass-fibre/foam fuselage, partially enclosed. Engine mounted below wing driving pusher propeller.

The Ptiger is basically an up-market Ascender II, from which it principally differs by the addition of three-axis control and the complete fairing in of the lower fuselage with a polyurethane foam/glass-fibre structure having an open cockpit. It also has a smaller wing. Shown at Oshkosh in August 1982, the Ptiger is the most recent variation on the Pfledge theme and is the top of the Pterodactyl range.

Although the Ptiger can be fitted with the spoilerons (as described under Ptraveler), it normally gets its roll control from smaller spoilers. In either case, it is a conventional three-axis control ultralight, with the stick operating spoilers or spoilerons and the fully flying canard. Pedals operate the tip rudders, which may be deployed together to act as air brakes, and also control individual main-wheel brakes to provide ground steering.
Under American legisation, the Ptiger is too fast to be an ultralight and is classified as an experimental aircraft, with its pilot needing a licence to fly it. For this reason, Pterodactyl deliver it as a single kit, which according to the company requires around 100 h for assembly. Mainwheel fairings are an option. The price in January 1983 was $5460.

Engine: Cuyuna 430RR, 30 hp at 5500 rpm
Propeller diameter and pitch 54 x 27 inch, 1.37 x 0.69 m
V-belt reduction
Fuel capacity 5.0 US gal, 4.2 Imp gal, 18.9 litre
Length overall 14.0 ft, 4.26 m
Height overall 9.0 ft, 2.74 m
Wing span 29.0 ft, 8.84 m
Total wing area 150 sq.ft, 13.9 sq.m
Nosewheel dia-meter overall 11 inch, 28cm
Main wheels diameter overall 13 inch, 33cm
Empty weight 240 lb, 109 kg
Max take-off weight 550 lb, 249kg
Payload 3101b, 140kg
Max power loading 13.5 lb/hp, 8.3kg/hp
Max level speed 65 mph, 104 kph
Max cruising speed 55 mph, 88 kph
Economic cruising speed 40 mph, 64 kph
Stalling speed 30 mph, 48 kph
Max climb rate at sea level 600 ft/min, 3.0 m/s
Min sink rate 400 ft/min, 2.0 m/s
Best glide ratio with power off 10/1
Take-off distance 150 ft, 45 m
Landing distance 120 ft, 36 m
Service ceiling 18,000 ft, 5490 m
Range at average cruising speed 130 mile, 209 km