American Microflight Inc Sadler Vampire
Sadler Vampire
Sadler A-22 Piranha
Wedgetail Vampire
Single-seat single-engined mid-wing mono-plane with conventional three-axis. Wing has unswept leading and trailing edges, and constant chord; two fin tail. Pitch control by elevator on tail; yaw control by fin-mounted rudders; roll control by full-span spoilers; control inputs through stick for pitch/roll, pedals for yaw. Cantilever wing; wing profile NACA 633-218A; double-surface. Undercarriage has three wheels in tricycle formation; with tailskid; no suspension on any wheels. Push-right go-right nosewheel steering con-nected to yaw control. Brakes on main wheels. Aluminium steel-tube framework, partially enclosed. Engine mounted at wing height driving pusher propeller. 6061-T6 aluminium tubes, 2024 alclad skin and glass-flibre pod.
The prototype of the Sadler Vampire was unveiled at Oshkosh in August 1982, where it was announced as likely to be on sale during 1983.
The price with a 20 hp engine was $7950 in 1983.
The quiet operation of the prototype was mainly due to the use of a reconnaissance and target drone engine of Israeli manufacture. The aircraft's use of an aluminium riveted skin for the tail surfaces and the wing with ribs of pressed aluminium may not be unusual in general aviation but is very rare in the ultralight world. The profile of the wing is NACA 633-218A and is laminar. Beneath the spoilers, running the full span of the wings at the trailing edge, are four-position hinged flaps.
American Microflight intend only to sell their Sadler Vampire ready to fly.
Option of KFM 107 engine.
In 1983 Ultra Light Aircraft Corporation (ULAC) was setting up a production facility for the American Microf-light Sadler Vampire, for which ULAC has acquired the Europe/Africa licence.
Bill Sadler had his Sadler Vampire at the 2008 U.S. Sport Aviation Exposition. Sadler announced the introduction of the plane into the lightsport aircraft category at Airventure 2007, at that time it was planned that the craft would be powered by the 100 HP Rotax 912 S.
Sadler Aircraft Corp, previously known as American Microlight Inc, developed A-22 Piranha lightly armed surveillance version of its microlight, also being developed by TUSAS. Tusas Aerospace Industries Inc in Turkey developed the TG-X1 Bat very light single-seat attack / surveillance aircraft (first flown February 1997, based on U.S. Sadler A-22 Piranha).
The Vampire was available and fully built at Wedgetail Aircraft factory at Camden in NSW, Australia, circa 2019.
Engine: NGL WAE 34, 26 hp
Poly V-belt reduction, ratio 2.0/1
Power per unit area 0.20 hp/sq.ft, 2.35 hp/sq.m
Fuel capac-ity 5.0 US gal, 4.2 Imp gal, 18.9 litre in main tank
Length overall 18.1 ft, 5.51 m
Height overall 4.8ft, 1.42m
Wing span 30.1 ft, 9.40m
Constant chord 5.0ft, 1.52m
Sweepback 0 degs
Total wing area 128sq.ft, 11.9sq.m
Wing aspect ratio 7.4/1
Nosewheel diameter overall 10 inch, 256mm
Main wheels diameter overall 10 inch, 250mm
Empty weight 220 lb, 100kg
Max take-off weight 450 lb, 204kg
Payload 230 lb, 104kg
Max wing loading 3.5 lb/sq.ft, 17.1 kg/sq.m
Max power loading 17.3 lb/hp, 7.8 kg/hp
Max level speed 85mph, 137kph
Max cruising speed 55 mph, 88 kph
Stalling speed 25 mph, 40kph
Take-off distance 300 ft, 91 m
Landing distance 200 ft, 61 m
Engine: Solo 210 (210 cc) 20 hp
Static thrust: 130 lb
Empty wt: 250 lb
Wing span: 30 ft
Wing area: 125 sq.ft
Height: 4 ft 8 in
Length: 17 ft 6 in
Fuel cap; 4.5 USG
Construction: Aluminium, Fibreglass
Max wt: 500 lb
Stall: 25 mph
Max speed: 63 mph
Vne: 85 mph
Climb rate: 350 fpm @ 45 mph
Design limit: +6, -6g
Glide ratio: 12-1
Wing loading: 4 lbs/sq.ft
Power loading: 25 lbs/hp
