ION-Aircraft Take-off from the 2010 EAA Airventure

The Ion Aircraft Ion is a two-seat,

twin boom A twin-boom aircraft is characterised by two longitudinal booms (extended nacelle-like bodies). The booms may contain ancillary items such as fuel tanks and/or provide a supporting structure for other items. Typically, twin tailbooms support ...

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 ...

light aircraft based on the DreamWings Valkyrie. It was still in development in 2010 but is intended either for homebuilding from kits or flyaway production, with versions meeting US and European rules. By November 2020 production had not started and the company was for sale.

Geode Capital Management Geode Capital Management, LLC (Geode) is an American investment management firm based in Boston, Massachusetts. History Geode was originally set up by Fidelity Investments in 2001 to run systematic long/short equity strategies and to incubate n ...

completed the acquisition of Ion Aircraft on 10 September 2021. The company is now called Gaea Capital Management.

Design and development

The Ion Aircraft Ion is a development of the DreamWings Valkyrie, a twin boom, pusher configuration

ultralight aircraft 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 ailer ...

which flew for the first time in 1999. The Valkyrie generated considerable interest and many potential customers, but DreamWings became bankrupt in 2001. The project was later restarted by a customer group under the name of Ion Aircraft and the part-built prototype of the Ion was displayed at Oshkosh in July 2005, though the first "hops" were not made until July 2007. Whilst the Valkyrie and the Ion share the share twin boom, single pusher engine,

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 confi ...

layout, have

tricycle undercarriage Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has a single nose wheel in the front, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity. Tricycle g ...

s and seat two in tandem, they differ significantly. In particular the Valkyrie's strongly swept and tapered

fin A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ...

s, combined with a trailing low set horizontal tail, which extended beyond the booms, have been replaced with swept, parallel chord fins with a constant chord tailplane linking their upper tips. Unlike the Valkyrie, the Ion does not have a canard. Much of the Ion is made of

composite material A composite material (also called a composition material or shortened to composite, which is the common name) is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or ...

s; the fuselage pod, the wing centre section within the booms, the booms themselves and the

empennage The empennage ( or ), also known as the tail or tail assembly, is a structure at the rear of an aircraft that provides stability during flight, in a way similar to the feathers on an arrow.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third ed ...

are all formed from

carbon fiber Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...

epoxy Epoxy is the family of basic components or cured end products of epoxy resins. Epoxy resins, also known as polyepoxides, are a class of reactive prepolymers and polymers which contain epoxide groups. The epoxide functional group is also coll ...

pre-preg Pre-preg is a composite material made from "pre-impregnated" fibers and a ''partially cured'' polymer matrix, such as epoxy or phenolic resin, or even thermoplastic mixed with liquid rubbers or resins. The fibers often take the form of a weave ...

s. Outboard of the booms the wings are of bonded aluminium. The wings carry plain

piano hinge A hinge is a mechanical bearing that connects two solid objects, typically allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. Two objects connected by an ideal hinge rotate relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation: all other ...

aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement around ...

s. The engine cover is GRP. The cockpit has a single piece

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...

, shaped to allow the rear seat to be 8.5 in (220 mm) above the forward one, giving its occupant better vision. The prototype has fixed, aluminium

cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a canti ...

spring main undercarriage legs and has been flown with and without

wheel fairings 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. ...

. The mainwheels have

hydraulic Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counter ...

brakes and the nosewheel castors.Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 111. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. Several options are to be offered, including a 3 ft 6 in (1050 mm) shorter span wing which will raise the cruising speed by 25 mph (41 km/h; 22 kn) but also increase the

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 ...

by 32%, a retractable undercarriage and a ballistic recovery parachute. Kits will be offered to meet either US Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) rules or European microlight regulations but flyaway aircraft will be built to LSA rules. Other engines, such as

Rotax Rotax is the brand name for a range of internal combustion engines developed and manufactured by the Austrian company BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG (until 2016 BRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co. KG), in turn owned by the Canadian Bombardier Recreational Product ...

variants in the 100-115 hp (75-86 kW) power range may be fitted. In the two years after its first flight in 2007, the Ion prototype flew about 60 hours, some with a

Jabiru 3300 The Jabiru 3300 is a lightweight four-stroke, horizontally opposed "flat-six" air-cooled aircraft engine produced by Jabiru Aircraft. The engines are direct drive and fitted with alternators, silencers, vacuum pump drives and dual ignition sy ...

six cylinder engine which experienced cooling problems but from May 2009 with a 100 hp (75 kW)

Rotax 912ULS The Rotax 912 is a horizontally-opposed four-cylinder, naturally aspirated, four-stroke aircraft engine with a reduction gearbox. It features liquid-cooled cylinder heads and air-cooled cylinders. Originally equipped with carburetors, late ...

flat four engine A flat-four engine, also known as a horizontally opposed-four engine, is a four-cylinder piston engine with two banks of cylinders lying on opposite sides of a common crankshaft. The most common type of flat-four engine is the boxer-four engine, ...

. In 2010 it appeared at

AirVenture EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (formerly the EAA Annual Convention and Fly-In), or just Oshkosh, is an annual air show and gathering of aviation enthusiasts held each summer at Wittman Regional Airport and adjacent Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, ...

, Oshkosh under its own power with a ventral air intake and a new three blade propeller. The second prototype was under construction but not registered in mid-2011. The Ion will not be offered for sale until flight tests are completed. By November 2020 the company was up for sale with the principals indicating that, while they had developed the aircraft they lacked expertise in starting production. They indicated that they wished to sell the company rather than let the project die. Geode Capital Management purchased Ion Aircraft on 10 September 2021. The company is now called Gaea Capital Management.

Proposed variants

;Ion 100 :Kit, LSA rules, fixed undercarriage.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 126. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X ;Ion 105 :Kit, US Experimental amateur built rules, retractable undercarriage, short span wings. ;Ion 110 :Kit, for European rules. ;Ion 105 :Kit, European microlight rules. ;Ion 120 :Flyaway, LSA rules.

Specifications (LSA, Rotax 912ULS, estimated performance)

References

External links

*{{official website, http://www.ionaircraft.com 2000s United States sport aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft Twin-boom aircraft