The Masquito Aircraft company was established in Belgium to produce the Masquito M80 ultralight helicopter and design started in November 1994.

Construction of the prototype began in December 1995, with the first flight (G-MASZ) in May 1996. 25 hours of test flying was completed by April 1997. P

The prototype was reconfigured as the M80 with a Jabiru engine and began ground trials in late 1997. The M80 was displayed unflown at the PFA International Air Rally at Cranfield in July 1999. By late 2002, over 120 hours of running time had been accumulated, including 20 within a limited hovering and slow flight envelope.

A CAA go-ahead for ground running of the fourth prototype (also marked G-MASZ) was given in mid-2001. This completed on 26 April 2002, confirming engine integrity.

The UK CAA requires Masquito aircraft to obtain a Design Organisation Approval before starting the flight-test programme for BCAR-VLII; this procedure started in 2003.

Conforms to FAR Pt 27 crashworthiness requirements. Two-blade, teetering main rotor and two-blade tail rotor; main rotor carbon composites blades with 9deg linear twist. Hiller servo rotor for increased stability in hover. Main rotor speed 690 rpm; 2kg lead weight in each tip to increase inertia and decrease rotor speed decay in event of engine failure. Tail rotor 3,200 rpm. Ventral fin offset 2degs. Composites “virtual hinge” main rotor head with elastomeric collective pitch thrust bearings. Prototype had Rotax gearbox for primary reduction and powerdrive toothed aramid fibre belts tor secondary reduction; production version employs toothed drivebelt, centrifugal clutch and flywheel as primary transmission, with flexible driveshaft for tail rotor.

Controls are conventional and manual, with Hiller servo rotor for cyclic pitch control. Primary structure of Ti3A12, 5V alloy; tailboom of 8.9cm carbon fibre tube. Main rotor blades have unidirectional composites spar with PVC foam trailing-edge core and bidirectional composites skin. Two fixed skids of 6061 alloy mounted on unidirectional carbon fibre supports.

Production aircraft to have an 89.5kW Masquito M2.6L four-cylinder, four-stroke air-cooled engine derated to 59.7kW at sea level, equipped with dual electronic ignition, electronic multipoint fuel injection, pressure and temperature compensation and dual variable timing ignition with max rpm limiter. Fuel capacity 67 litres of which 60 litres usable.

Production deliveries were due to begin in early 2004.

M58
Engine: 47.7kW Rotax 582

M58
Engine: Jabiru, 80 hp
Rotor span: 4.60 m
MAUW: 390 kg
Empty weight: 170 kg
Fuel capacity: 52 lt
Max speed: 180 kph
Cruise speed: 150 kph
Minimum speed: 0 kph
Climb rate: 9.6 m/s
Seats: 2
Fuel consumption: 12 lt/hr
Kit price (1998): £30,000

M80
Engine: Masquito M2.6L, 89.5kW
Main rotor diameter: 5.52m
Tail rotor diameter: 1.00m
Overall length, rotors turning: 6.22m
Fuselage length: 4.85m
Height overall: 2.25m
Max. take-off weight: 450kg
Empty weight, equipped: 230kg
Never-exceed speed: 180km/h
Max cruising speed: 148km/h
Max rate of climb at sea level: 335m/min
Hovering ceiling IGE: 2,000m
Range with max internal fuel: 600km
Endurance: 4h

Engine: Jabiru, 80 hp
Rotor span: 4.60 m
MAUW: 390 kg
Empty weight: 170 kg
Fuel capacity: 52 lt
Max speed: 180 kph
Cruise speed: 150 kph
Minimum speed: 0 kph
Climb rate: 9.6 m/s
Seats: 2
Fuel consumption: 12 lt/hr
Kit price (1998): £30,000