Engineering:Aero Dynamics Sparrow Hawk
| Aero Dynamics Sparrow Hawk | |
|---|---|
| |
| Sparrow Hawk (G-BOZU, not marked, arrived by road) at a fly-in at Wroughton Airfield in July 1992 | |
| Role | Kit aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Aero Dynamics Limited |
| Designer | Charles "Chuck" Herbst |
| Introduction | 1985 |
| Number built | 7 |
The Aero Dynamics Sparrow Hawk MK II is an American homebuilt, two seater,[1] single-engine, pusher monoplane, manufactured by Aero Dynamics Limited. It was designed by former Boeing design engineer Charles "Chuck" Herbst.[2][3][4]
Design and development
The Sparrow Hawk is a twin boom, twin fin, ultralight aircraft built with mixed construction materials most notably including Kevlar, carbon fiber and polyurethane foam.[5][6] It uses a Rotax 532 two-stroke aircraft engine in pusher configuration.[7] It employs a cantilever, shoulder wing, fixed landing gear and a two-seat enclosed cockpit.[2]
In 2022, Sparrow Hawk Aviation Ltd announced that they had plans to redesign and improve the Sparrow Hawk, though no redesigns have been made to the aircraft design yet.[8]
Operational history
The Sparrow Hawk had its official public debut in July 1985 at the EAA Annual Convention and Fly-In, as two Sparrow Hawks, registered as N5793F and N5832M, attended.[6] The manufacturer and model of N5793F is recorded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an "Ultralight Aircraft Ltd Sparrow Hawk Mk II",[9] while N5832M is recorded as an "Aero Dynamics Ltd Sparrow Hawk MkII".[10]
A Sparrow Hawk (registered N8728A) was displayed at the Air Display and Air Races event at Cranfield Aerodrome in the United Kingdom, on 20 September 1987.[11][12] The same aircraft was exhibited at the SBAC-organized Farnborough Airshow in September 1988.[13]
Aircraft on display
Specifications
Data from Aerofiles[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Capacity: one passenger
- Length: 17 ft 10 in (5.44 m)
- Wingspan: 34 ft 5 in (10.49 m)
- Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 532 four cylinder, liquid-cooled, two stroke aircraft engine, 64 hp (48 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 105–130 mph (169–209 km/h, 91–113 kn)
- Cruise speed: 95–120 mph (153–193 km/h, 83–104 kn)
- Stall speed: 36 mph (58 km/h, 31 kn)
References
- ↑ "FAA Registry - Aircraft - Make / Model Inquiry". https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=AERO+DYNAMICS&Modeltxt=&PageNo=1.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "American airplanes: Ab - Ak". http://www.aerofiles.com/_ab.html.
- ↑ ABPic Photo Library. "Search Results". https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/search?type=Aero+Dynamics+Sparrow+Hawk+Mk.II&date_taken=&information=&tag_fields=%5B%5D.
- ↑ Gunston, Bill (2005). World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers (2nd ed.). Phoenix Mill, Gloucestershire, ENG, UK: Sutton Publishing. pp. 10. ISBN 0-7509-3981-8.
- ↑ United Kingdom: Air League of the British Empire. 1985. pp. 429-430.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Chatfield, Chris (1986). "Oshkosh Concordiale". Air-Britain Digest 38 (1): 12,15.
- ↑ "Aircraft N8707A Data". https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N8707A.html.
- ↑ "Homebuilts Under Development". https://www.homebuilt.org/aircraft/develop.html.
- ↑ "FAA Registry - Aircraft - N-number Enquiry (N5793F)". https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=5793F.
- ↑ "FAA Registry - Aircraft - N-number Enquiry (N5832M)". https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=5832M.
- ↑ "Display Reports". Air-Britain News: 492. November 1987.
- ↑ "FAA Registry - Aircraft - N-number Enquiry (N8728A)". https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=8728A.
- ↑ "Show Reports Farnborough 1988". https://www.scramble.nl/database/show-reports/united-kingdom/farnborough-1988.
- ↑ "Aircraft Data N23SH". https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N23SH.html.
- ↑ "FAA Registry - Aircraft - N-number Enquiry (N23SH)". https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=23SH.
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