Author: Terry

Skyhook Sailwings Sunspot

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The 1977 Sunspot features a fully battened and cambered sail. The airfoil section is maintained at the rear by a shaped keel pocket. The control frame can be split and folded without removing parts, giving maximum strength and eliminating the risk of failure. Quick detachable cross tube ends allow the wings to be folded in without tools or unfastening screws or wing nuts. There is a detachable nose pin for bottom wires and an overcentre tensioner for top rigging wires. The Sunspot was offered in two sizes for optimum pilot weights: 145 lbs and 180 lbs.

It is possible to distinguish between early Sunspots and later examples by the shape of a reinforcing patch at the centre of the trailing edge. Early Sunspots have a rectangular reinforcing strip whilst later models have a triangular one.

Sunspot (large)
Leading edge: 21 ft 9 in
Span: 34 ft 10 in
Root chord: 10 ft 9 in
Keel: 13 ft 10 in
Sail area: 215 sq ft.

Skyhigh Sky Baby

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Single seat single engined high wing monoplane with conventional three axis control. Wing has unswept leading and trailing edges, and constant chord; conventional tail. Pitch control by elevator on tail; yaw control by fin mounted rudder; roll control by half span ailerons; 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; double-surface. Undercarriage has three wheels in tail dragger formation; suspension on tailwheel and bungee suspension on main wheels. Push right go right tailwheel steering connected to yaw control. No brakes. Aluminium tube/wood/steel tube fuselage partially enclosed. Engine mounted below wing driving pusher propeller.

Skyhigh Sky Baby Article

The single seat Skybaby is aimed at homebuilders and is therefore only sold as sets of plans. It is intended to have a McCulloch Mc101 engine developing 12.5 hp at 9000rpm or, for heavier pilots, the Yamaha KT100S of 15 hp at 10,000 rpm. Certain parts are available from Skyhigh Ultralights, for example the landing gear, controls, reduction drive, seat etc.

The price of the plans was $55 in 1982. According to Skyhigh, the construction time for the Skybaby should not exceed 200h.

Engine: McCulloch Mc 101, 12.5hp at 9000rpm
Power per unit area 0.09hp/sq.ft, 1.1 hp/sq.m
Fuel capacity 3.0 US gal, 2.5 Imp gal, 11.4 litre
Length overall 17.0 ft, 5.18 m
Height overall 5.0ft, 1.52m
Wing span 32.0ft, 9.75m
Constant chord 4.0 ft, 1.22 m
Sweepback 0 deg
Total wing area 128 sq.ft, 11.9sq.m
Wing aspect ratio 8.0/1
Empty weight 155 lb, 70kg
Max take off weight 360 lb, 163kg
Payload 205 lb, 93kg
Max wing loading 2.81 lb/sq.ft, 13.7 kg/sq.m
Max power loading 28.8 lb/hp, 13.0kg/hp
Load factors; +5.0, 3.0 ultimate
Max level speed 40 mph, 64 kph
Never exceed speed 50 mph, 80kph
Max cruising speed 35mph, 56kph
Stalling speed 24 mph, 39 kph
Max climb rate at sea level 225 ft/min, 1.1 m/s
Best glide ratio with power off 9/1
Take off distance 200 ft, 60 m
Landing distance 100 ft, 30 m

Skyfox CA-25 Gazelle

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CA-25N Gazelle

To meet market demand CA-22 were again reworked and a new type certificate was gained for the CA-25N (nose-wheel) Gazelle. This name stems from the fact that the redevelopment finance for this aircraft was obtained from the Swiss agents Gisela. Production of the CA-22 Elan and the CA-25 Impala (both with tail-wheels) continued but sales of the CA-25N (nose-wheel) went at about l0 to 1.

The CA-25N nose wheel development, first flew 1995.

The airframe is built from 4130 chrome molyb¬denum steel, with the wings built up on tubular spars with an internal web, along with metal drag and anti drag braces. Plywood ribs are epoxy bonded to the spars. They are then covered with Stits polyfibre and Dulux paint. Power is from a Rotax 912, which gives the aircraft the flatter engine cowl¬ing — the easiest way to differentiate this machine from the radial type cowl of the US Kitfox.

Production ceased in late 1999 after about 106 tail-draggers and 83 nose-wheeled machines had been constructed.

CA-25
Tail wheel undercarriage

CA-25N
Extended wingspan: 9.52m (folded: 2.4m)

Skyfox CA-22

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About 100 CA-22 tail-wheel machines were built and registered either as CA-22s in the ultralight (AUF) class, or as CA-22As under full VH registration marks. To meet market demand these models were again reworked and a new type certificate was gained for the CA-25N (nose-wheel) Gazelle. Production of the CA-22 Elan and the CA-25 Impala (both with tail-wheels) continued but sales of the CA-25N (nose-wheel) went at about l0 to 1.

Skyfox Aviation Skyfox
Stall: 43 kt / 49 mph / 80 kmh
Cruise: 70 kt / 81 mph / 130 kmh
VNE: 93 kt / 107 mph / 172 kmh
Empty Weight: 315 kg / 694 lbs
MTOW Weight: 520 kg / 1146 lbs
Glide Ratio: 10:1
Take-off distance (50ft obstacle): 330 ft / 100 m
Landing distance (50ft obstacle): 390 ft / 120 m

Skyfox Aviation

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Skyfox Aviation came on the scene in 1991 at Caloundra, north of Brisbane, after acquiring the rights to manufacture the US Kitfox ultralight. The aircraft was significantly modified to meet the CAQ 101-55 standards for a commercially-built two-seat ultralight able to be used for flight training. The aircraft was also re-worked to meet the international JAR/VLA certification standards for sale in Europe and this was completed by about mid-1993, as the CA-22.

Founded as a public company in 1996 but originating in 1991. Offers the Skyfox STOL two-seat braced high-wing cabin monoplane (first flown September 1989) for pleasure, training, surveillance and other roles, in CA22 ultralight, CA25 tailwheel general aviation and CA25N nosewheel general-aviation versions.

A fi¬nancial crisis in 1997 saw the company again re¬financed.