The Aero Nord AIR series is a family of

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

paramotor Paramotor is the generic name for the harness and propulsive portion of a powered paragliding, powered paraglider ("PPG"). There are two basic types of paramotors: foot launch and wheel launch. Foot launch models consist of a frame with harness ...

s that was designed and produced by

Aero Nord Aero Nord ULM (ultra-léger motorisé, en, motorized ultralight) was a French aircraft manufacturer based in Lorgies, and later in Bénifontaine. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of paramotors in the form of ready-to-fly ...

of Lorgies, and later

Bénifontaine Bénifontaine () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France. Geography A farming village situated just north of Lens at the junction of the N47 and D39 roads. The airport of Lens-Bénifonta ...

, for

powered paragliding Powered paragliding, also known as paramotoring or PPG, is a form of ultralight aviation where the pilot wears a back-pack motor (a paramotor) which provides enough thrust to take off using a paraglider. It can be launched in still air, and on ...

. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied as a complete and ready-to-fly.Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 62. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster UK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X

Design and development

The aircraft was designed to comply with the US

FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles Ultralight aircraft in the United States are much smaller and lighter than ultralight aircraft as defined by all other countries. In the United States, ultralights are described as "ultralight vehicles" and not as aircraft. They are not requ ...

rules as well as European regulations. It features a

paraglider Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like 'po ...

-style wing, single-place accommodation and a single RDM engine in

pusher configuration In an aircraft with a pusher configuration (as opposed to a tractor configuration), the propeller(s) are mounted behind their respective engine(s). Since a pusher propeller is mounted behind the engine, the drive shaft is in compression in nor ...

with a 4:1 ratio

reduction drive A reduction drive is a mechanical device to shift rotational speed. A planetary reduction drive is a small scale version using ball bearings in an epicyclic arrangement instead of toothed gears. Reduction drives are used in engines of all kinds t ...

and a diameter two-bladed wooden propeller. The fuel tank capacity is . As is the case with all paramotors, take-off and landing is accomplished by foot. The aircraft is built with a welded

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...

tubing propeller cage, which can be broken down into two or four sections for ground stowage. Inflight steering is accomplished via handles that actuate the canopy brakes, creating roll and yaw.

Operational history

Reviewer Rene Coulon wrote in 2003 that the "machine shows good understanding of the market and skill in the production" and noted that the series has attracted "considerable attention".

Variants

;AIR 1 :Single place paramotor, with an empty weight of and a single RDM engine with a diameter two-bladed wooden propeller. ;AIR 2 :Single place paramotor, with an empty weight of and a single RDM engine with a diameter two-bladed wooden propeller. ;AIR 3 :Single place paramotor, with an empty weight of and a single RDM engine with a diameter two-bladed wooden propeller.

Specifications (AIR 1)

References

{{reflist AIM 2000s French ultralight aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft Paramotors