The Houde Speedmax is a French

racing In sport, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific goa ...

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 ...

, designed and produced by Patrice Houde of

Reichshoffen Reichshoffen ( or ; ; Alsatian: ''Risshoffe'') is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Église Saint-Michel de Reichshoffen was built in 1772. Population Politics and administration List of mayors ...

. The aircraft is supplied as plans, as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft,

certified Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

under JAR-VLA.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 58. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485XTacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 61. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015.

Design and development

The Speedmax features a cantilever low-wing, a single seat enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, fixed

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 ...

and a single engine in tractor configuration. The aircraft is made from wood, with some parts fabricated from carbon fibre. The standard engine available is the Rotax 582

two-stroke A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a Thermodynamic power cycle, power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle, this power cycle being comple ...

powerplant. Two fuel tanks are fitted. The aircraft was designed for aerobatics and stressed to +6 and -5 g.

Specifications (Speedmax)

References

{{Patrice Houde aircraft 2010s French ultralight aircraft Homebuilt aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft