The Danieli Piuma ( en, feather) is a family of

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

high-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 co ...

, strut-braced, pusher configuration single-seat

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 ...

s that was designed by Tiziano Danieli of

Schio Schio is a town and comune in the province of Vicenza (region of Veneto, northern Italy) situated north of Vicenza and east of the Lake Garda. It is surrounded by the Little Dolomites (Italian Prealps) and Mount Pasubio. History Its name comes f ...

and supplied as plans for amateur construction.Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 306. BAI Communications, July 1998. Downey, Julia: ''2001 Plans Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 18, Number 1, January 2001, page 18. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851Downey, Julia: ''2002 Plans Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 19, Number 1, January 2002, pages 15-16. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851Downey, Julia: ''2003 Plans Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 20, Number 1, January 2003, page 19. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 56. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485XBayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 134. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X

Design and development

The Piuma was designed to be an inexpensive, easy-to-fly and easy-to-build

ultralight Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with aile ...

motor glider. The first model was initially just called the ''Piuma'', but as other models were developed it became known as the ''Piuma Original''. The Piuma is constructed from wood and finished with doped

fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not th ...

. The semi-tapered span wing is supported by a single

lift strut In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of strut, which act in ...

on each side and has air brakes. The engine is mounted behind the cockpit. The specified engine is the

KFM 107er The KFM 107 is a two-cylinder, two-stroke, single ignition, horizontally opposed aircraft engine designed for ultralight aircraft and motor gliders.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page G-5 Cybair Limited Publis ...

, but engines of can be fitted. The

landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...

is of tricycle configuration and made from steel with rubber shock-absorbers, with an auxiliary tailwheel and fits

wheel pants An aircraft fairing is a structure whose primary function is to produce a smooth outline and reduce drag.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, Third Edition'', page 206. Aviation Supplies & Academics Inc, Newcastle Washington, 1997. ...

to reduce drag. The tail is

cruciform Cruciform is a term for physical manifestations resembling a common cross or Christian cross. The label can be extended to architectural shapes, biology, art, and design. Cruciform architectural plan Christian churches are commonly describe ...

. The aircraft has a

glide ratio In aerodynamics, the lift-to-drag ratio (or L/D ratio) is the lift generated by an aerodynamic body such as an aerofoil or aircraft, divided by the aerodynamic drag caused by moving through air. It describes the aerodynamic efficiency under giv ...

of 17:1 at . Cabin width is The designer estimated that it would take a builder 1000 hours to complete the aircraft from the plans. The plans cost

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

220 in 1998 and included a 30-page construction manual.

Variants

;Piuma Original :Initial version with span wing, first flown in 1990. Eight reported completed in 2003. ;Piuma E :Improved model with

of 20:1 at and other refinements. ;Piuma Evolution :Improved model with a wider cockpit, more streamlined fuselage, redesigned tail, new lift struts, electrically retractable nose wheel. main landing gear made from a wood/

fibreglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...

sandwich and a more reclined seat. Four reported completed in 2003. ;Piuma Tourer :Model optimized for cross country powered flight with shorter wing of and a

NACA The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its assets ...

4415 airfoil used in the rectangular portion of the wing and a NACA 2R1-12 airfoil in the tapered

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 ...

. Cruises at and has a 10:1 glide ratio. One reported completed in 2003. ;Piuma Twin Evolution :Two seat model with

side-by-side configuration Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which a team of machines, animals or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction. The original use of the term in English was in ''tandem harness'', which is used for two ...

seating, introduced in 1998 and inspired by the Tourer. The recommended engine is the

Rotax 503 The Rotax 503 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995. As of 2011 the Rot ...

of .

Specifications (Piuma Original)

References

External links

* {{Portal bar, Italy, Companies, Aviation 1990s Italian sailplanes Homebuilt aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1990 Single-engined pusher aircraft Motor gliders

Design and development

Variants

Specifications (Piuma Original)

See also

References

External links