The Kolb Flyer Powered Parachute is an American

powered parachute A powered parachute, often abbreviated PPC, and also called a motorized parachute or paraplane, is a type of aircraft that consists of a parafoil with a motor and wheels. The FAA defines a powered parachute as ''a powered aircraft a flexible o ...

that was designed and produced by

New Kolb Aircraft Kolb Aircraft Company is an American aircraft manufacturer that produces kitplanes for amateur construction.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page E-20, 21. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. Downey, Julia: ''1 ...

of London, Kentucky. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 83. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster UK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X The Flyer was the second of three company aircraft to bear the same name, after the 1970

Kolb Flyer The Kolb Flyer is an American single seat, high wing, strut-braced, twin-engine, pusher configuration, conventional landing gear-equipped ultralight aircraft that was produced in kit form by Kolb Aircraft of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and in ...

and followed by the 2008 production

Kolb Flyer Super Sport The Ultravia Pelican is the name given to two series of high-wing, single-engine, tractor configuration ultralight aircraft that were designed by Jean Rene Lepage and produced in kit form for amateur construction by Ultravia Aero International ...

, a version of the Canadian

Ultravia Pelican The Ultravia Pelican is the name given to two series of high-wing, single-engine, tractor configuration ultralight aircraft that were designed by Jean Rene Lepage and produced in kit form for amateur construction by Ultravia Aero International ...

. Introduced about 2001, The powered parachute was a break from previous Kolb designs, which were otherwise all fixed wing aircraft and was embarked upon to give the company a foothold in the then-expanding North American powered parachute market.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page E-20. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', pages 81 and 124. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X

Design and development

The Flyer complies with the

Fédération Aéronautique Internationale The (; FAI; en, World Air Sports Federation) is the world governing body for air sports, and also stewards definitions regarding human spaceflight. It was founded on 14 October 1905, and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It maintai ...

microlight category, including the category's maximum gross weight of . The aircraft has a maximum gross weight of . It could also qualify as a US

FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles Ultralight aircraft in the United States are much smaller and lighter than ultralight aircraft as defined by all other countries. In the United States, ultralights are described as "ultralight vehicles" and not as aircraft. They are not requ ...

rules two-seat trainer. It 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 wing, two-seats-in- tandem accommodation,

tricycle landing gear 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 ...

and a single Rotax 582 liquid-cooled 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 carriage is built from bolted metal tubing. In-flight steering is accomplished via foot pedals that actuate the canopy brakes, creating roll and yaw. On the ground the aircraft has lever-controlled nosewheel steering. The main landing gear incorporates spring rod suspension. The aircraft has an empty weight of and a gross weight of , giving a useful load of . With full fuel of the payload for crew and baggage is .

Operational history

In July 2015 one example was registered in the United States with the

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

as an

experimental aircraft An experimental aircraft is an aircraft intended for testing new aerospace technologies and design concepts. The term ''research aircraft'' or ''testbed aircraft'', by contrast, generally denotes aircraft modified to perform scientific studies, ...

Specifications (Flyer)

References

{{Kolb Aircraft Flyer 2000s United States sport aircraft 2000s United States ultralight aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft Powered parachutes