In early 1983, Charlie Stanton commenced a three-year project that would see him design and build the Stanton Sunbird powered glider.

 

 

The 28 hp Rotax 277 engine enables a take-off and climb to a height sufficient for the engine to be stopped, the propellor automatically folded and the aircraft to fly as a conventional glider. The engine can be re-started in flight if needed.

 

 

The single seat Stanton Sunbird motorglider ZK-JEA utilised various mechanical parts from Charlie's earlier American Eaglet ZK-GOE.  

 

 

It has a wingspan of 42 feet (12.8 metres) and was powered by a 27 HP Rotax 277 engine with a feathering propellor that could be restarted in flight if necessary.  It was self-launching and flew successfully for over 10 years.

 

 

ZK-JEA (c/n 001) was registered as a Class 1 microlight to Charlie Stanton on 1 November 1994, and its first flight was on 26 February 1995 and over the next ten years Charlie made many flights including a maximum height of 13,000 ft and on another occasion a flight of 3 hr 30 min.

 

 

The registration was cancelled on 11 April 1997 as withdrawn.

 

 

Its final flight was on 16 April 2005.  

 

On Sunday 4 December 2005, during the Ashburton Aviation Museum’s Christmas party, the Stanton Sunbird was donated to the museum by Charlie and his wife, Phyllis, where it is now on display.

 

Engine: 28 hp Rotax 277

Wingspan: 42 ft / 12.8 m

Wing area: 100 sq.ft / 9.2 sq.m

Wing loading: 5.3 lb/sq.ft / 26 kg/sq.m

Airfoil: Epple 748 High Lift

Empty weight: 313 lb / 142 kg

Payload: 214 lb / 97 kg

Max weight: 527 lb / 239 kg

Vne: 81 mph / 132 kph

Cruise: 45 mph / 90 kph

Stall w/flaps: 32 mph / 52 kph

Load factor: +- 4.4g

Service ceiling: 15,000 ft