The Hatherleigh CAVOK is a Swiss

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 ...

that was produced by Heatherleigh Consulting of

Bussigny-près-Lausanne Bussigny (until 2014 Bussigny-près-Lausanne) is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud, located in the district of Ouest Lausannois. History Bussigny is first mentioned in 1358 as ''Bussignye''. Geography Bussigny has an area, , of . Of ...

, first flying on 13 December 2001.Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 57. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X The aircraft's name is a common aviation

meteorology Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did no ...

abbreviation meaning ''Ceiling And Visibility OK'' and implying good flying weather.

Design and development

The CAVOK project began in the middle of 2000. The primary development model was the CAVOK 10, with a wingspan of , extendable to with

wing tip 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 ...

extensions. The design goals for the aircraft included maximizing performance for the price, compliance with JAR 22 rules for standard class sailplanes and also European ultralight category rules, including French ULM regulations. Certification was also intended to JAR-VLA standards for countries that lack an ultralight category. The aircraft is built from

fibreglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...

and features a fixed, fuselage-mounted, single-cylinder,

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 ...

Gas Gas motorcycle engine, driving a retractable two-bladed fixed-pitch tractor propeller. The engine can be started and run before extending and engaging the propeller. The wing features

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, unlike most other aircraft in this category, lacks wing-mounted air brakes, the brake being fuselage mounted. The

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 ...

consists of fixed nose, centre and tail wheels along with auxiliary wheels out on the wing from 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 aircraf ...

. The aircraft is finished in white

polyurethane Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) refers to a class of polymers composed of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethane is produced from ...

paint. The aircraft was designed for quick assembly and disassembly by one person without assistance, as no part weighs over . The aircraft is normally transported by towed trailer. The last news release the company put out, on 14 December 2002, indicated that development work had been delayed, but was underway at that time. The company website had been removed by 2005 and it is likely that only prototypes were completed and flown.

Design and development

Specifications (CAVOK 10)

See also

References

External links