The Titan Tornado is large family of cantilever

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 confi ...

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 ...

tricycle 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 ...

-equipped

kit aircraft Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.Armstrong, Kenn ...

manufactured by

Titan Aircraft Titan Aircraft is an aircraft kit manufacturer, located in Austinburg, Ohio. They produce kits for the Titan T-51 Mustang, which is a 3/4 scale replica of the P-51 Mustang and several versions of the Tornado ultralight/light-sport aircraft.Baye ...

Austinburg, Ohio Austinburg is a census-designated place in northern Austinburg Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. It has a post office with the ZIP code 44010. It lies at the intersection of State Routes 45 and 307 __NOTOC__ Year 307 ( CC ...

, for amateur construction.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, pages B-62 and B-108. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', pages 274-275. BAI Communications. Downey, Julia: ''1999 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, pages 72-73. Primedia Publications. Downey, Julia: ''2001 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 17, Number 12, December 2000, page 78. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. Downey, Julia: ''2002 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 18, Number 12, December 2001, page 70. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. Newby-Gonzalez, Tori: ''2004 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 20, Number 12, December 2003, page 80. Belvoir Publications. Downey, Julia: ''2005 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 21, Number 12, December 2004, page 83-84. Belvoir Publications. Downey, Julia: ''2008 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, pages 75-76. Primedia Publications. Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 164. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 73. Belvoir Publications.

Design and development

The first in the Tornado series, the Tornado 103, which started development in 1990, was introduced in 1994 and designed to fit into the 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 ...

category, meeting the empty weight limit. If equipped with a light enough engine the Tornado 103 could qualify as a US ultralight. The Tornado borrows from the design of the Earthstar Thunder Gull J and shares a similar

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 ...

wing of small area, keeping stall speeds low by use of flaps. This low drag design manages high cross country speeds as a result. The cockpit is constructed from

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 ...

, while the

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 ...

boom tube and the wings are built from

aluminium 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. I ...

. Unlike the Gull's wing, which is

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 ...

-covered or optionally finished in sheet aluminium,Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page B-61. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. the Tornado's wing is

stressed skin In mechanical engineering, stressed skin is a type of rigid construction, intermediate between monocoque and a rigid frame with a non-loaded covering. A stressed skin structure has its compression-taking elements localized and its tension-taking e ...

. The Tornado has a

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 ge ...

with a supplemental tailwheel castor, as the aircraft sits on its tail when unoccupied.

Operational history

The Tornado 103 was named ''Ultralight Grand Champion'' at

Sun 'n Fun Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo (officially styled SUN 'n FUN) is a nonprofit organization in Lakeland, Florida dedicated to the promotion of aviation education. It is best known for the annual week-long fly-in and airshow at Lakeland Linder Intern ...

1994.

Variants

;Tornado 103 :The first version, a single seater, intended for the US ultralight category with a wingspan. Standard engine was the

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 ...

. No longer in production. Reported construction time is 300 hours. Ten were reported flying in 1998. ;Tornado Sport :Improved single seater version intended for the US homebuilt category with a wingspan. Standard 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 Ro ...

. No longer in production. Reported construction time is 300 hours. 89 were reported flying in 1999. ;Tornado MG :Single seater version intended for the US homebuilt category, with a wingspan. The wing is detachable for storage or transport. Standard engine is the

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 ...

and optional engines included 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 ...

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. ...

and the

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 ...

. No longer in production. Reported construction time is 350 hours. Five were reported flying in 2011. ;Tornado I :Improved version of the Tornado Sport, intended for the US homebuilt category or

light-sport aircraft A light-sport aircraft (LSA), or light sport aircraft, is a fairly new category of small, lightweight aircraft that are simple to fly. LSAs tend to be heavier and more sophisticated than ultralight (aka "microlight") aircraft, but LSA restrictio ...

category as its standard empty weight is . Standard engine is the

. Still in production. ;Tornado I Sport :Single seat version, intended for the US homebuilt category as its standard empty weight is . Standard engine is the

. No longer in production. 180 were reported flying in 2011. Titan Tornado II Photo 1

;Tornado II :Two seats in

tandem 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 ...

version, intended for the previous US ultralight trainer category and presently for the US homebuilt and light-sport categories. It has a wingspan. Standard engine is the

and cruise speed is with that engine. Acceptable power range is . The

HKS 700E The HKS 700E is a twin-cylinder, horizontally opposed, four stroke, carburetted aircraft engine, designed for use on ultralight aircraft, powered parachutes and ultralight trikes. The engine is manufactured by HKS, a Japanese company noted for ...

four-stroke A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either directio ...

engine has also been used. Still in production. Reported construction time is 350 hours. 120 were reported flying in 1998.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 124. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ;Tornado II Trainer :Two seats in tandem version, intended for the previous US ultralight trainer category. It has a wingspan. Standard engine is the

. Acceptable power range is . No longer in production. Reported construction time is 350 hours. 510 were reported flying in 2011. ;Tornado II Sport :Two seats in tandem version, intended for the US homebuilt category. It has a wingspan. Standard engine is the

. Acceptable power range is . No longer in production. Reported construction time is 350 hours. 500 were reported flying in 2003. ;Tornado II 912 :Two seats in tandem version, intended for the US homebuilt category. It has a wingspan. Standard engine is the

Rotax 912 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 cruise speed is with that engine. Acceptable power range is . No longer in production. 145 were reported flying in 1999. ;Tornado II FP :Two seats in tandem amphibious

floatplane A floatplane is a type of seaplane with one or more slender floats mounted under the fuselage to provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy. Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, ...

version, intended for the US homebuilt category with a wingspan. Standard engine is the

and cruise speed is with that engine. Out of production. Reported construction time is 350 hours. Twelve were reported flying in 2001. ;Tornado MG II :Two seats in tandem version, with a wingspan. The wing is detachable for storage or transport. Standard engine is the

and the acceptable power range is . No longer in production. Reported construction time is 400 hours. Eight were reported flying in 2001. ;Tornado S :Two seats in tandem "stretched" fuselage version, intended for the US homebuilt and light-sport categories. It has a wingspan. Standard engine is the

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 ...

and cruise speed is with that engine. Acceptable power range is and alternate engines include the

Jabiru 2200 The Jabiru 2200 is a lightweight naturally aspirated, pushrod four-stroke, flat four, air-cooled aircraft engine produced by Jabiru Aircraft. Design and development The conventional direct-drive engine is fitted with an alternator, silencers, ...

, or the

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 syst ...

. Still in production. Reported construction time is 300 hours. 55 reported flying in 2011. Titan Toranado SS

;Tornado SS :Two seats in tandem "super stretched" fuselage version, intended for the US homebuilt and light-sport categories. It features a longer and higher cockpit area with more headroom that the Tornado II along with a bigger rear door and a full-sized back seat. It has a wingspan. Acceptable power range is and engines include the

, or the

. Still in production. Twenty reported as flying in 2011.

Specifications (Tornado 103)

References

External links

* {{Titan Aircraft 1990s United States ultralight aircraft Light-sport aircraft Homebuilt aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft High-wing aircraft