The Butterfly Emperor Butterfly

It fits in the back of a standard sized pick-up. An optional 72″ landing gear was available at no extra charge.

The Butterfly is centerline thrust with a huge horizontal stabilizer. The seat tank holds 7.5 USgallons of fuel. An electric pre rotator is fitted.

The airframe materials kit has pre drilled locator holes that will have to be re drilled to size and some of the tubes will have to be cut to length. The kit is intended for the experimental category where you as the builder fabricate at least 51% of the kit for recreation and education. The cheek plates and various other parts are cut to shape and have undersized locator holes.

The front landing gear, landing gear support, joystick, and rotor head washer are made from 4130 Chrome Molly steel and they are heat-treated. All the parts are either powder coated or anodized in the kit. The tail is made using Kevlar.

Options:
Rear wheel pants (set)
G-Force Landing Gear (A)(6’)
Rotor Tachometer

Engine: Rotax 503 50 hp
Propeller:Tennessee wood
Height: 7′ 4″
Length: 11′ 2″
Width: 57″
Weight: 280 lbs.
Recommended pilot weight: Up to 200 lbs
Top Speed: 63 mph
Instruments: ASI, ALT, Engine RPM, EGT and CHT.

The Butterfly Monarch

A single-seat open frame centerline thrust gyroplane with an adequate horizontal stabilizer. Powder coated square and round tube aluminum airframe. Electric or belt drive pre rotator with rotor brake. GRS Parachute available. Fits in the back of a pickup with the 58″ wide gear.

Engine: 66hp Rotax 582
Propeller: 60″ Powerfin
Rotor Blades: 23′ aluminum
Min Speed 20 mph
Cruise 63 mph
Top Speed 70 mph
Empty Weight 302 lbs
Useful Load 582 lbs
Width 58′ or 70″
Height 7’2″
Length 10’6′

The Butterfly Butterfly

Single-seat legal Part 103 Ultralight gyroplane
A Centerline Thrust gyroplane with an adequate horizontal stabilizer. Powder coated square and round-tube aluminum air frame. Fits in the back of a pick-up.
Available in 2009: Complete kit form or fully assembled and test flown.

Engine: 50 hp Rotax 503
Propeller: 60″ Tennessee Prop
Rotor Blades: 23′ aluminum
Min Speed 20 mph
Cruise 55 mph
Top Speed 63 mph
Empty Weight 254 lbs
Useful Load 254 lbs
Gross Weight 508 lbs
Width 4’10”
Height 7’2″
Length 10’6″

The Australian Autogyro Co Skyhook

A single seat open frame or partially enclosed autogyro. Airframe is 2×2 aluminium tube with shock absorbing landing gear, dual rudder. Rotor blades: 23’ Skyhook aluminium riveted.

Available in three versions. Open-frame model is the Mk I, with partial enclosure it’s the Mk II, fully enclosed is the Mk III. Airframe is 2 x 2 aluminum tube with shock-absorbing landing gear. Dual rudder. Information package was $10 (Aus)

Cost: Mk I $7,600 (U.S.) Fully assembled, and Mk III $15,200 (U.S.) in 2009.

Mk.1
Open frame
Engine: Rotax 503
Prop: IvoProp 54” x 32” 2 blade wood.
Rotor Blades: 23′ Skyhook aluminum riveted

Mk.2
Partially enclosed frame.
Engine: 1916cc 80 hp VW
Prop: Invincible 52” x 27”
Rotor Blades: 23′ Skyhook aluminum riveted

Mk.3
Fully enclosed frame
Engine: 1916cc 80 hp VW
Prop: Invincible 52” x 27” 2 blade wood
Rotor Blades: 23′ Skyhook aluminum riveted
Min speed: 15 mph
Cruise: 55-60 mph
Top speed: 100 mph
Empty wt: 380 lb
Useful load: 280 lb
Gross wt: 660 lb
Width: 5’6”
Height: 6’10”
Length: 10’

Mk III
Empty Weight 380 lbs
Useful Load 280 lbs
Gross Weight 660 lbs
Width 5’6″
Height 6’10”
Length 10′

The Airplane Factory Eindecker

One aircraft that lends itself admirably to replication by virtue of its design is the Fokker Eindecker. This 1914 design has been reproduced in scale by the Aeroplane Factory, Dayton, Ohio; its original flying and landing wire concept adapting readily to modern microlight construction methods. Powered by a Rotax 277 developing 27 hp, this 36 foot wing span replica has a cruise speed of 45 mph and comes in kit form. Centre mounted joy stick, rudder pedals, tail wheel steerable through rudder pedals.

Empty wt: 251 lb
Wing span: 36’
Wing area: 154 sq.ft
Height: 8’
Length: 20’6”
Fuel cap; 4.4 USG
Construction: Aluminium, Dacron, Steel
Engine: Rotax 277 (268 cc) 28 hp
Static thrust: 275 lb
Max wt: 500 lb
Stall: 23 mph
Max speed: 63 mph
Vne: 70 mph
Climb rate: 500 fpm @ 30 mph
Design limit: +4, -2g
Glide ratio: 7.8-1
Wing loading: 3.25 lbs/sq.ft
Power loading: 17.26 lbs/hp

Thatcher CX4

The CX4 is a low wing, single-seat aircraft designed to be simple to build and safe to fly. The name of the plane, CX4, is taken from an old radio show featuring Hop Harrigan, whose plane was called CX4.

The aircraft is all metal, 6061-T6 aluminium, except the cowling. It has hydraulic disc toe brakes and a heater and ventilation system for all season flying. The aircraft can be built with an optional 3 gal aux fuel tank. The CX4’s standard specified powerplant is a Volkswagen air cooled engine. The design load factor is 3.8 g, with an ultimate load of 5.7 g

The CX4 first flew in 2004. At the end of 2010, there were eighteen flying CX4s in the United States and South Africa. Parts and kits are currently supplied by Peter Beck.

Gallery

Powerplant: 1 × Volkswagen
Length: 18 ft 3 in (5.56 m)
Wingspan: 24 ft (7.3 m)
Height: 4 ft 8 in (1.42 m)
Wing area: 48 sq ft (4.5 sq.m)
Empty weight: 520 lb (236 kg)
Gross weight: 850 lb (386 kg)
Cruise speed: 109 kn; 201 km/h (125 mph)
Stall speed: 35 kph 64 km/h (40 mph)
Never exceed speed: 135 kn; 249 km/h (155 mph)
Service ceiling: 10,000 ft (3,000 m)
Rate of climb: 825 ft/min (4.19 m/s)
Crew: 1