Cloudbuster Ultralights Cloudbuster
Cloudbuster | |
---|---|
Role | Ultralight aircraft |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | |
Status | Production completed |
The Cloudbuster Ultralights Cloudbuster is an American ultralight aircraft that was designed and produced by the of Sarasota, Florida in the early 1980s. The aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.[1][2]
Design and development[]
The aircraft was designed to comply with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules, including the category's maximum empty weight of 254 lb (115 kg). The Cloudbuster has a standard empty weight of 248 lb (112 kg). It features a strut-braced high-wing, a single-seat, open cockpit, tricycle landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.[1]
The aircraft fuselage structure is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with a tubular keel supporting the tail, wing mounts and the engine at the front. The standard factory supplied powerplant was the Zenoah G-25B of 20 hp (15 kW). Its 37 ft (11.3 m) span wing is braced with a single lift strut per side. The wing is of exotic mixed construction, with aluminum tubular spars, urethane foam and fibreglass wing ribs, the leading edge is vinyl-covered and the trailing edge is sheet aluminum and the whole wing finished in doped aircraft fabric covering. The pilot sits on an open seat that is not equipped with a windshield. The landing gear features main wheel suspension and a steerable nosewheel. The airframe was proof tested to +4.5/-2.25 g.[1]
The complex wing does give the aircraft good gliding performance, achieving a 13:1 glide ratio and a minimum sink speed of 260 ft/min (1.3 m/s). However the complexity of the wing construction lead to the commercial failure of the aircraft design and few were produced.[1]
Specifications (Cloudbuster)[]
Data from Cliche[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Wingspan: 37 ft (11 m)
- Wing area: 153 sq ft (14.2 m2)
- Aspect ratio: 8.9:1
- Empty weight: 248 lb (112 kg)
- Gross weight: 532 lb (241 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 3.5 U.S. gallons (13 L; 2.9 imp gal)
- Powerplant: 1 × Zenoah G-25B single cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine with 2.5:1 belt drive reduction gearing, 20 hp (15 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 60 mph (97 km/h, 52 kn)
- Cruise speed: 50 mph (80 km/h, 43 kn)
- Stall speed: 25 mph (40 km/h, 22 kn)
- Range: 135 mi (217 km, 117 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 10,000 ft (3,000 m)
- g limits: +4.5/-2.25
- Maximum glide ratio: 13:1
- Rate of climb: 650 ft/min (3.3 m/s)
- Rate of sink: 260 ft/min (1.3 m/s)
References[]
- ^ a b c d e Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page E-10. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-9680628-1-4
- ^ Perkins, Scott, Vintage Ultralight Association (2004). "Where Are They Now?". Archived from the original on March 11, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
- 1980s United States ultralight aircraft
- Homebuilt aircraft
- Single-engined tractor aircraft