The Air Creation iXess is a French double-surface
ultralight trike wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
, designed and produced by
Air Creation of
Aubenas. The wing is widely used on Air Creation trikes, as well as those of other manufacturers.
[Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 200. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X]
Design and development
The wing is a
cable-braced,
king post-equipped
hang glider
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 ...
-style wing designed as a high performance and competition wing for two-place trikes, although it is also used for
flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills.
Flight training can be conducted under a str ...
. It currently comes in one size, the iXess 15, named for its metric wing area of , although a version was once available.
The wing is made from bolted-together
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, with its 90% double surface wing covered in
Dacron
Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods ...
sailcloth. Its span wing has a nose angle of 120°, an
aspect ratio of 6.66:1 and uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar.
Originally the top-of-the line wing in Air Creation's catalog, the iXess has lost that position to the
Air Creation BioniX
The Air Creation BioniX is a French double-surface ultralight trike wing, designed and produced by Air Creation of Aubenas. The wing is widely used on Air Creation trikes.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Av ...
, although the iXess remained in production through 2013.
Operational history
The iXess has been widely used in microlight competition and was used to win World Championships in 2001, 2005 and 2007, as well as the European Championships in 2002, 2004 and 2006.
Variants
;iXess 13
: version, no longer in production
;iXess 15
: version, still in production in 2013
Applications
![Air Creation Tanarg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Air_Creation_Tanarg.JPG)
*
Air Creation iXess Clipper 582[Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', pages 91-92. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X]
*
Air Creation Skypper
The Air Creation Skypper is a French ultralight trike, designed and produced by Air Creation of Aubenas. The aircraft was introduced in 2011 and is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory o ...
*
Air Creation Tanarg
*
Air Creation Trek
The Air Creation Trek is a French ultralight trike, designed by Air Creation of Aubenas. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', pag ...
*
Apollo Jet Star
The Apollo Jet Star is a Hungarian ultralight trike, designed and produced by Apollo Ultralight Aircraft of Eger. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier ...
*
Take Off Merlin
*
Ventura 1200
Specifications (iXess 15)
References
External links
*
{{Air Creation aircraft
Ultralight trike wings