Engineering:Eurofly Fire Fox

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Short description: Italian ultralight aircraft
Fire Fox
Eurofly Fire Fox takeoff from Nervesa.jpg
Eurofly Fire Fox taking off from an airfield in Italy.
Role Ultralight aircraft
National origin Italy
Manufacturer Eurofly srl
Status In production (2013)

The Eurofly Fire Fox (sometimes Firefox) is an Italian ultralight aircraft designed and produced by Eurofly srl of Galliera Veneta. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft or as a kit for amateur construction.[1]

Design and development

The aircraft was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category, including the category's maximum gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb). The Fire Fox features a strut-braced high-wing, a two-seats-in-tandem enclosed cockpit, fixed tricycle landing gear with wheel pants and a single engine in pusher configuration.[1]

The aircraft is made from a combination of ALS 500 steel tubing and 6082 aluminium alloy tubing, with its flying surfaces covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 9.60 m (31.5 ft) span wing lacks flaps and has a wing area of 16.09 m2 (173.2 sq ft). Each wing is supported by two parallel struts with jury struts. The standard engine used is the 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503 two-stroke powerplant.[1]

The Fire Fox has a typical empty weight of 220 kg (490 lb) and a gross weight of 450 kg (990 lb), giving a useful load of 230 kg (510 lb). With full fuel of 49 litres (11 imp gal; 13 US gal) the payload for pilot, passengers and baggage is 194 kg (428 lb).[1]

Variants

Fire Fox
Base model[1]
Fire Fox 2000
Fully equipped variant including electric flaps.[2]

Specifications (Fire Fox)

Data from AeroCrafter and Eurofly srl[1][3]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Capacity: one passenger
  • Length: 6.20 m (20.33 ft)
  • Wingspan: 9.60 m (31.48 ft)
  • Height: 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
  • Wing area: 16.09 m2 (173.2 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 220 kg (484 lb)
  • Gross weight: 450 kg (992 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 50 litres (11 imp gal; 13 US gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 503 twin cylinder, air-cooled, two stroke aircraft engine, 37 kW (50 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed composite

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 130 km/h (81 mph, 70 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 90 km/h (56 mph, 49 kn)
  • Stall speed: 45 km/h (28 mph, 24 kn)
  • g limits: +6/-4
  • Maximum glide ratio: 8:1 at 100 km/h (62 mph)
  • Rate of climb: 5.00 m/s (984 ft/min)
  • Rate of sink: 2.0 m/s (390 ft/min) at 90 km/h (55 mph)
  • Wing loading: 28 kg/m2 (5.7 lb/sq ft)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition, page 150. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998. ISBN:0-9636409-4-1
  2. "Eurofly Firefox 2000". Euroflyulm.com. http://www.euroflyulm.com/it/. Retrieved 2013-12-25. 
  3. Eurofly srl, (undated) Firefox Specifications, retrieved 25 December 2013

External links