Don R. Saunders tried in the 70s and 80s to offer a homebuilt propeller jet utlising a blower driven by an internal combustion engine located inside the fuselage.
The engine was a Mazda 300 hp which resulted in a five-bladed fan ejecting air at the rear of the fuselage.
A 2500cc aero engine using a VW as a base.
Cycle: 4 stroke
No cylinders: 4
Bore: 97 mm
Stroke: 84 mm
Compression: 9.5
Displacement: 2500 cc
Cooling: Air
Ignition: Magneto
Reduction: nil
Weight: 79 kg
Max pwr: 93 hp at 3000 rpm
Price 1998: 26,300 DM
1998:
Nieder olme strasse 16
D 55270 Ober-Olm
Germany
LSA engine builder
NPO Saturn
Saturn
Moscow, USSR
Lyul’ka was a USSR aero-engine design bureau and manufacturer from 1938 to the 1990s, when manufacturing and design elements were integrated as NPO Saturn based at Rybinsk.
Special Aircraft Transport International Company GIE, formed October 1991 as joint venture between Aerospatiale of France and Daimler-Benz Aerospace Airbus of Germany to develop a successor to the Super Guppy outsized freighter used to carry large Airbus airliner assemblies between factories in Europe. Resulting A300-600ST Super Transporter, known also as Beluga, based on A300-600R but with many important modifications including a completely new upper fuselage section to provide a freight hold of 24 ft 3 in (7.4 m) cross-section, with access via the largest door ever installed on an aircraft (upward-opening); cockpit moved forward and below cargo deck; new tailplane with endfins. First Beluga flown September 1994 and four of five ordered now in service (last for delivery in 2001); also used for charters when not engaged on main work.
1996: Ron Sands, 89 Forrest Dr, Mertztown, PA 19539, USA.
Home built / LSA builder
The Sandpiper XP-1, UL-1, and XP-2 kits includes engine, prop and instruments, and is equipped with full span ailerons and steerable nose wheel.
The Hirth engine was available with either gear or belt reduction.
Sandpiper UL-1
Engine: Rotax 277, 28 hp
HP range: 28-65
Height: 8 ft
Length: 16 ft
Wing span: 26.5 ft
Wing area: 148.9 sq.ft
Fuel capacity: 5 USG
Empty weight: 243 lb
Gross weight: 650 lb
Top speed: 60 mph
Cruise: 55 mph
Stall: 26 mph
Rate of climb: 400 fpm
Takeoff dist: 45 ft
Landing dist: 40 ft
Seats: 1
Landing gear: tri
Sandpiper XP-1
Engine: Hirth 2702, 35 hp
HP range: 35-80
Height: 8 ft
Length: 16 ft
Wing span: 26.5 ft
Wing area: 148.9 sq.ft
Fuel capacity: 24 USG
Empty weight: 305 lb
Gross weight: 790 lb
Top speed: 90 mph
Cruise: 85 mph
Stall: 27 mph
Rate of climb: 1200 fpm
Takeoff dist: 35 ft
Landing dist: 40 ft
Seats: 1
Landing gear: tri
Sandpiper XP-2
Top speed: 85 mph
Cruise: 80 mph
Stall: 30 mph
Rate of climb: 940 fpm
Takeoff dist: 85 ft
Landing dist: 90 ft
Engine: Hirth FP23, 60 hp
HP range: 50-85
Fuel capacity: 24 USG
Empty weight: 380 lb
Gross weight: 900 lb
Height: 8 ft
Length: 16 ft
Wing span: 32.5 ft
Wing area: 182.5 sq.ft
Seats: 2
Landing gear: tri
1997: 23115 Airport Rd, NE Bldg. B, Box 4, Aurora, OR 97002, USA.
UL builder
The Sundog is a rigid wing that was designed by Californian Mike Sandlin. The Sundog is an evolution of the Skypuppy,
Sundog was a rigid wing built to test the usefulness of flaps on a hang glider. This version has full span flaps which fold under the wing for transport. There are spoilerons on the top surface of the wing for turning, actuated by side motion of the hang loop. The flaps were pulled down by a rope. The tail surfaces are just fixed stabilizers.
It was too heavy, at 90 lb and the static balance was non-existent (special launch procedures required), but it was fun to fly once you got it in the air. Full span flaps allow simple, easy landings, very similar to a drogue chute.
They were up-only ailerons, actuated from the hang loop, then returned to neutral by a bungee cord (like the spoilerons, which came later). A good system, but Sandlin wanted bigger flaps.
Low performance landings were the easiest and safest.
All Aero 