The Aerola Alatus is a
Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
mid-wing
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
, single-seat,
glider
Glider may refer to:
Aircraft and transport Aircraft
* Glider (aircraft), heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight
** Glider (sailplane), a rigid-winged glider aircraft with an undercarriage, used in the sport of glidin ...
and
motor glider
A motor glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that can be flown with or without engine power. The FAI Gliding Commission Sporting Code definition is: a fixed-wing aerodyne equipped with a means of propulsion (MoP), capable of sustained soaring flight ...
, designed and produced by
Aerola of
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.
Kyi ...
.
[Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 131-132. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X]
Design and development
A manufacturer of rigid wing
hang gliders
Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...
, Aerola decided to produce an ultralight sailplane along similar concept lines. The resulting aircraft is offered with and without a retractable engine. The prototype glider was known as the AL-12, with the motorized prototype designated as the AL-12M. The production versions are the Alatus and Alatus-M, respectively.
The aircraft is made from composites. Its span, slightly forward-swept wing has an area of . The landing gear is of a bicycle design, with a main wheel and a nose wheel, plus
wing tip
A wing tip (or wingtip) is the part of the wing that is most distant from the fuselage of a fixed-wing aircraft.
Because the wing tip shape influences the size and drag of the wingtip vortices, tip design has produced a diversity of sha ...
skids. The
bubble canopy
A bubble canopy is an aircraft canopy constructed without bracing, for the purpose of providing a wider unobstructed field of view to the pilot, often providing 360° all-round visibility.
The designs of bubble canopies can drastically vary; s ...
is in one piece and is removable. The light wing loading and low
stall speed
In fluid dynamics, a stall is a reduction in the lift coefficient generated by a foil as angle of attack increases.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', p. 486. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. This occurs when t ...
mean that the aircraft can be flown in the smallest
thermals
A thermal column (or thermal) is a rising mass of buoyant air, a convective current in the atmosphere, that transfers heat energy vertically. Thermals are created by the uneven heating of Earth's surface from solar radiation, and are an example ...
. The wings can be removed for ground transport on top of an automobile, while the
fuselage
The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraf ...
is small enough to fit inside a van or to be secured to a small trailer.
Variants
;AL-12
:Initial unpowered prototype
;AL-12M
:Initial powered prototype
;Alatus
:Production model pure glider with an empty weight of and a gross weight of . Conforms to German LTF and LFG requirements.
;Alatus-M
:Production model motor glider with an empty weight of and a gross weight of . Conforms to German LTF and LFG requirements, as well as 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 req ...
rules. Powered by a pylon-mounted retractable
CorsAir M25Y ES engine that produces a climb rate of 2.0 m/s (400 fpm) and gives an endurance of 1.5 hours. An
electric powerplant is also available which provides a half-hour endurance. The Alatus-M can be converted back to the Alatus by removing the powerplant pylon and engine.
Specifications (Alatus)
See also
References
{{reflist
External links
Official websiteOfficial photos of the Alatus and Alatus-M
2000s Ukrainian sailplanes