The Ekolot JK 01A Elf is a Polish
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 con ...
, single-seat
motor glider
A motor glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that can be flown with or without engine power. The FAI Gliding Commission Sporting Code definition is: a fixed-wing aerodyne equipped with a means of propulsion (MoP), capable of sustained soaring flight ...
, designed by Jerzy Krawczyk and produced by
Ekolot of
Krosno
Krosno (in full ''The Royal Free City of Krosno'', pl, Królewskie Wolne Miasto Krosno) is a historical town and county in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in southeastern Poland. The estimated population of the town is 47,140 inhabitants as of ...
. Production has ended, but when it was available it was provided as a complete ready-to-fly aircraft or as a kit for
amateur construction. It was superseded in production by the improved
Ekolot KR-010 Elf.
[Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 135. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X]
Design and development
The JK 01A Elf was designed by Krawczyk, based on the earlier work of American designer Alex Strojnikun. It features
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 cant ...
wings, a single-seat enclosed cockpit under a
bubble canopy
A bubble canopy is an aircraft canopy constructed without bracing, for the purpose of providing a wider unobstructed field of view to the pilot, often providing 360° all-round visibility.
The designs of bubble canopies can drastically vary; s ...
, fixed
landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
and a single engine in
pusher configuration.
The aircraft is made from composites. Its span wing has an area of ,
flaperon
A flaperon (a portmanteau of flap and aileron) on an aircraft's wing is a type of control surface that combines the functions of both flaps and ailerons. Some smaller kitplanes have flaperons for reasons of simplicity of manufacture, while ...
s and provides a
glide ratio
In aerodynamics, the lift-to-drag ratio (or L/D ratio) is the lift generated by an aerodynamic body such as an aerofoil or aircraft, divided by the aerodynamic drag caused by moving through air. It describes the aerodynamic efficiency under giv ...
of 26:1. The standard engine used was a
JPX D-320 two-stroke
A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle, this power cycle being completed in one revolution of ...
, but this engine is no longer available and any small
horizontally-opposed
A flat engine is a piston engine where the cylinders are located on either side of a central crankshaft. Flat engines are also known as horizontally opposed engines, however this is distinct from the less common opposed-piston engine design, wh ...
engine in the range can be used. An engine of this power provides a takeoff run of . The propeller used has a folding design to reduce drag and the fuel tank fitted has a volume of . The landing gear uses dual, close-set mainwheels and a smaller nosewheel, with no
wingtip
A wing tip (or wingtip) is the part of the wing that is most distant from the fuselage of a fixed-wing aircraft.
Because the wing tip shape influences the size and drag of the wingtip vortices, tip design has produced a diversity of sha ...
wheels.
The company provides complete ready-to-fly aircraft and kits which offer the aircraft in various states of completion.
The first flight was made on 8 July 2006. There is no evidence of production beyond 2007/8.
Specifications (JK 01A Elf)
See also
References
External links
Official website archives
{{Ekolot aircraft
2000s Polish sailplanes
Homebuilt aircraft
Ekolot aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 2006
Single-engined pusher aircraft