The Heldeberg Convertible, also called the Blue Heron Convertible, is an American powered parachute, that was designed and produced by

Heldeberg Designs Heldeberg Designs was an American aircraft manufacturer, headquartered in Altamont, New York. The company specialized in powered parachute A powered parachute, often abbreviated PPC, and also called a motorized parachute or paraplane, is a ty ...

Altamont, New York Altamont is a village located in the town of Guilderland in Albany County, New York, United States. The village is in the western part of the town. The population was 1,720 at the 2010 census. The name means "high mountain." History In colon ...

.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page D-8. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001.

Design and development

The Convertible was designed to comply with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules for single seaters, including the category's maximum empty weight of . The aircraft has a standard empty weight of . It took its name from the design feature whereby it can be fitted with a second seat for instruction or passenger carrying. The model features a

parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...

-style high-wing, single seat, or optionally two-seats-in- tandem, accommodation, tricycle landing gear and a single Rotax 503 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 ...

. The aircraft is built from a combination of bolted aluminium and

stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...

tubing. It features a double ring propeller guard that has been roll-over tested. The fuel tank is made from aluminium. In flight steering is accomplished via foot pedals, or optionally a control stick, that actuate the canopy brakes, creating roll and yaw. On the ground the aircraft has lever-controlled nosewheel steering. The main landing gear incorporates gas strut suspension. The aircraft is factory supplied in the form of an assembly kit that requires 30–50 hours to complete. Originally marketed by the factory under their own name, the aircraft was later marketed under the brand name ''Blue Heron'', although the manufacturer remained the same.

Specifications (Blue Heron Convertible)

References

{{Heldeberg Designs aircraft 1990s United States ultralight aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft Powered parachutes