The Mainair Rapier is a British
ultralight trike that was designed and produced by
Mainair Sports and later
P&M Aviation. The aircraft was supplied as a completed aircraft or as a kit for
amateur construction, followed by a factory inspection prior to flight.
[Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page C-14. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ][Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 104. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X][Downey, Julia: ''2000 Trike and 'Chute Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 17, Number 2, February 2000, page 47. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851]
Design and development
The aircraft was designed as a lower-cost touring trike than the
Mainair Blade. It complies with the
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The (; FAI; en, World Air Sports Federation) is the world governing body for air sports, and also stewards definitions regarding human spaceflight. It was founded on 14 October 1905, and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It maintai ...
microlight category, including the category's maximum gross weight of and is certified to UK BCAR Section "S". The aircraft has a maximum gross weight of . It features a
cable-braced hang glider-style
high-wing, weight-shift controls, a two-seats-in-
tandem, open cockpit,
tricycle landing gear and a single engine 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 ...
.
The aircraft is made from bolted-together
aluminium tubing, with its double-surface wing covered in
Dacron sailcloth. Its span wing is supported by a single tube-type
kingpost and uses an "A" frame control bar. The occupants are accommodated in tandem seating, with a
fibreglass cockpit fairing
An aircraft fairing is a structure whose primary function is to produce a smooth outline and reduce drag.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, Third Edition'', page 206. Aviation Supplies & Academics Inc, Newcastle Washington, 1997. ...
that includes a small windshield. To keep costs down, the factory supplied engine was the
Rotax 503 twin cylinder,
two-stroke, air cooled powerplant. The twin cylinder,
two-stroke, liquid cooled
Rotax 582 was an available option.
Specifications (Rapier)
References
{{P&M Aviation aircraft
Mainair Rapier
1990s British ultralight aircraft
Single-engined pusher aircraft
Ultralight trikes