Swift gliders with engines originally had Arplast EcoProp folding propellers, which feather for soaring when then engine is turned off. The various fuselage frames are interchangeable and any can be added to the same basic wing. a two-seat glider used for training (the Tandem Swift).Power comes from an Eck-Geiger HPD-10, 10-kilowatt motor, controller and battery system, part of a setup designed and sold by Austrian hang-gliding champion Manfred Ruhmer. an electric-powered variant ( Swift-Light E) has 20 minutes of powered flight per charge.a motor-glider (the P-Swift) with 25 horsepower (19 kW) 2-stroke engine.a self-launching glider (the Swift-PAS) with 12 horsepower (8.9 kW) two-stroke engine, later with an 18 hp Bailey 175 four stroke engine.the core product is the foot-launched glider (the Swift'Lite).Model range Ī variety of different "fuselage pods" have been fitted beneath the wings to create a range of aircraft, as follows: In addition, compared to its predecessor, the Swift'Lite is claimed to be: 20% lighter, with lighter and more responsive controls, a lower stall speed, an improved glide ratio of 27:1, better pilot visibility and comfort, and simplified assembly procedure. This new model has winglets that, like those on the Rutan Long-EZ, are rudders when used singly, and air-brakes when used together. The original Swift is now out of production, having been replaced by a refined version called the Swift'Lite. The winglets on the 1989 prototype were fixed surfaces, so the pilot effected turns using the elevons. Large winglets act as vertical stabilizers and the models with an enclosed cockpit also have conventional fuselage stabilising surfaces that contribute to yaw stability. The swept wing has control surfaces along the entire trailing edge: flaps occupy the inner 42%, and elevons take up 58% of the outer span. Bright Star constructed the revised SWIFT and its first flight took place in December 1989. When Brian Porter of Bright Star met Stanford student Steve Morris, the projects merged. Meanwhile Professor Ilan Kroo and a group of graduate students at Stanford University had developed the Stanford SWIFT design project. National Hang Gliding Championship winning Odyssey prototype. Bright Star Gliders had developed the 1989 U.S. The Swift (an acronym for 'Swept Wing with Inboard Flap for Trim') was originally conceived as a rigid hang glider with sailplane-like performance. Aériane first manufactured the Swift under licence, but the firm is now the sole manufacturer.ĭesign & development Swift'Lite glider in flight Swift single-seat lightweight motor-glider The Swift has been succeeded by the "Swift'Lite".Īlthough designed in California, Swift aircraft are now manufactured by Aériane, a European firm based in Gembloux, Belgium. The Aériane Swift is a lightweight (48 kg) foot-launched tailless sailplane whose rigid wings have a span of 40 feet. Bright Star Gliders and Stanford University.
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