The Hipp's Superbirds J-3 Kitten and related designs are a family of single-engined, single seat, high wing

conventional landing gear Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...

-equipped aircraft available in kit form or as plans from Hipp's Superbirds of

Saluda, North Carolina Saluda is a city in Polk and Henderson counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 713 at the 2010 census. Saluda is famous for sitting at the top of the Norfolk Southern Railway's Saluda Grade, which was the steepest main line ...

.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page B-31. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. Downey, Julia: ''1999 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 51. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Downey, Julia: ''2008 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 54-55. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 175-176. BAI Communications. The J-3, J-4 and Reliant designs are intended to have empty weights under , and fit into the US ultralight category. The remaining designs are heavier and fit into the US Experimental - Amateur-built category.

Design and development

The Hipp's J-3, J-5 and Reliant are all very similar aircraft developed from the original J-4, and differing only in

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 aircraft t ...

design and wingspan. All aircraft in the series have a

4130 steel 41xx steel is a family of SAE steel grades, as specified by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Alloying elements include chromium and molybdenum, and as a result these materials are often informally referred to as chromoly steel (common ...

tube fuselage and tail assembly. The wings are built from wood, and both the fuselage and wings are covered with doped

aircraft fabric Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures. The de Havilland Mosquito is an example of this technique, as are ...

. The engine cowlings are composite. Floats and skis are available. Construction times are estimated as 300 hours from the kit and 800 hours from plans. The wings of all the aircraft in the series are detachable for transport or storage. The aircraft in the series are described by reviewer Andre Cliche as being "docile, predictable and forgiving aircraft that can be handled safely by novice pilots."

Operational history

The Reliant was first displayed at Oshkosh in 1987 where it received the ''Grand Champion'' and ''Charles Lindbergh'' awards.

Variants

;J-3 Kitten :Enclosed cockpit with cut-down rear turtle deck, standard empty weight , wingspan of , standard engine

Rotax 277 The Rotax 277 is a , single-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, that was 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. Development The ...

of . First flight 1986. ;J-4 Sportster :Open cockpit

parasol 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 confi ...

with flat rear turtle deck, standard empty weight , wingspan of , standard engine

of . First flight 1986. J-5 Kitten

;J-5 Super Kitten :Enclosed cockpit with cut-down rear turtle deck, standard empty weight , wingspan of , standard engine

Rotax 447 The Rotax 447 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. Design and development ...

of . First flight 1986. Includes extra fuel, landing gear shock absorbers,

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. ...

and brakes. ;Super Sportster :Open cockpit

with flat rear turtle deck, standard empty weight , wingspan of , standard engine

of . First flight 1986. ;Reliant :Enclosed cockpit with fast-back rear turtle deck, standard empty weight , wingspan of , standard engine

of . First flight 1987. Hipps Reliant SX interior

;Reliant SX :Enclosed cockpit with fast-back rear turtle deck, standard empty weight , wingspan of , standard engine

of . Includes extra fuel, landing gear shock absorbers, and wheel pants. First flight 1987.

Specifications (J-3 Kitten)

References

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External links