The Kolb Slingshot is an American tandem two seat, high wing,
strut-braced
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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
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 ...
, that was produced in kit form 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
London is a home rule-class city in Laurel County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 7,993 at the time of the 2010 census. It is the second-largest city named "London" in the United States and the ...
and intended for
amateur construction.
[Downey, Julia: ''1999 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 54. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851][Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page B-89. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ][Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 188. BAI Communications. ]
By mid-2014, the company was no longer offering the model for sale and production had ended.
Design and development
The Slingshot was designed as a two-seat ultralight with a small wing and high cruise speed for the installed power, capable of delivering speeds comparable to a general aviation aircraft without the associated cost or complexity. The standard engine was originally the
Rotax 582
The Rotax 582 is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, rotary intake valve, oil-in-fuel or oil injection pump, liquid-cooled, gear reduction-drive aircraft engine manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It is for use in non-certified aircraft operating ...
engine, but 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 Ro ...
,
Rotax 618
The Rotax 618 is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, liquid cooled, gear reduction-drive engine that was formerly manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It was designed for use on ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catalog'', pages 6-105. ...
,
Rotax 912UL
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 ...
and or
2si
2si was an American engine manufacturer located in Beaufort, South Carolina. The company was a wholly owned subsidiary of the AMW Cuyuna Engine Company, formerly known as the ''Cuyuna Development Company''.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft S ...
twin engine packs have been installed. In its home country the aircraft is normally licensed in the ''Experimental - amateur-built'' category.
The design features a forward
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 ...
of welded
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 ...
tubing, mated to an
aluminum
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...
tailboom. The
horizontal stabilizer
A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabiliser, is a small lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplan ...
,
tail fin and wings are also constructed of riveted aluminum tubing with all flying surfaces covered in 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 wings and horizontal tail are quick-folding for storage and ground transport. The Slingshot can be made ready to fly from trailering in 15 minutes.
The long conventional landing gear consist of sprung tubing for the main gear, with a steerable sprung tailwheel.
The company described the Slingshot's two seat capabilities, "the rear passenger seat is designed for average size people, up to 175 pounds. The seating arrangement has the passenger's legs overlapping the pilot's seat. This allows the fuselage to be shorter and more compact. It also saves a lot of weight.".
Operational history
In reviewing the aircraft Andre Cliche said:
Specifications (Slingshot)
See also
References
External links
Official website archiveon
Archive.org
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
{{Kolb Aircraft
Slingshot
A slingshot is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame, with two natural rubber strips or tubes attached to the upper two ends. The other ends of the strips lead back to a pocket that holds the pro ...
1990s United States ultralight aircraft