Raj Hamsa Ultralights XAIR-H Hanuman N929XH 01

The Raj Hamsa X-Air is an

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

n, two-seat,

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 ...

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 ...

tractor configuration In aviation, the term tractor configuration refers to an aircraft constructed in the standard configuration with its engine mounted with the propeller in front of it so that the aircraft is "pulled" through the air. Oppositely, the pusher c ...

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 ...

produced by Raj Hamsa Ultralights of

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

in kit form, for amateur construction.Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, pages 76-77. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page B-112. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 363. BAI Communications. Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', pages 155-156. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485XDowney, Julia: ''2001 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 17, Number 12, December 2000, page 70. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851Downey, Julia: ''2002 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 18, Number 12, December 2001, page 62. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851Downey, Julia: ''2005 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 21, Number 12, December 2004, page 68. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851

Design and development

The X-Air started as a development of the

Chotia Weedhopper The Weedhopper is an American high-wing, tractor configuration, tricycle gear, two-axis control ultralight aircraft originally developed by John Chotia during the height of the 1970s ultralight boom and introduced in 1977. When it was in prod ...

redesigned to incorporate

aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement around ...

s and an enclosed cabin. After initial production in Europe manufacturing was shifted to Raj Hamsa in India. In many countries the aircraft is known as the ''Rand Kar X-Air''. In the USA it is sometimes referred to as the ''Light Wing X-Air''. The aircraft was later developed into the more conventional X-Air Hanuman, which relocated the engine from the upper keel tube to the nose. The X-Air is built from bolted

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 ...

tubing, mated to a central welded steel cockpit cage. The wings and tail surfaces are covered in pre-sewn

Dacron Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods ...

sailcloth envelopes. The aircraft is built around its keel, a large tube that runs from the high-mounted engine in the front to the tail in the back. The wings are supported by V-struts with

jury strut In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of strut, which act in c ...

s. The landing gear incorporates oleo shock absorbers on all three wheels. The nosewheel is steerable and mainwheel brakes are standard. Dual controls are standard, but cockpit doors are optional. The cockpit has been criticized by reviewer Andre Cliche as "a bit difficult to access". The X-Air can be fitted with either floats or skis. Engines from can be fitted, provided they weigh under . The construction time is estimated at 40 hours.

Operational history

Due to its low price and BCAR Section "S" certification the X-Air has proven popular in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. An X-Air has been used as a

testbed A testbed (also spelled test bed) is a platform for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of scientific theories, computational tools, and new technologies. The term is used across many disciplines to describe experimental rese ...

for the prototype

D-Motor LF26 The D-Motor LF26 is a lightweight liquid cooled side-valve four-stroke flat four, 2.7 litre petrol aircraft engine, produced by D-Motor in Deerlijk, Belgium. Design and development This direct-drive aero-engine is unusual in two respects: it is ...

flathead engine A flathead engine, also known as a sidevalve engine''American Rodder'', 6/94, pp.45 & 93. or valve-in-block engine is an internal combustion engine with its poppet valves contained within the engine block, instead of in the cylinder head, as ...

Variants

;X-Air "S" (Standard) :Initial version, certified under UK BCAR Section "S" as a microlight. Standard engine is 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 ...

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 ...

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, ...

and 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 ...

powerplants are also used. The design is popular in the UK, especially with the Jabiru engine.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 128. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X ;X-Air "F" Gumnam :Improved version, aerodynamically cleaned up, extended

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 ...

with baggage compartment,

Lexan Polycarbonates (PC) are a group of thermoplastic polymers containing carbonate groups in their chemical structures. Polycarbonates used in engineering are strong, tough materials, and some grades are optically transparent. They are easily work ...

doors and

wheel pants 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. ...

are standard. The wing is shorter, with a higher aspect ratio, 100% double surface, flaps and a NACA 4412 airfoil. Certified under UK BCAR Section "S" as a microlight and marketed in the UK as the ''X-Air Falcon''. Standard engine is the

, although 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 ...

four-stroke engine can be used. ; X-Air "H" Hanuman :Development version, with nose-mounted

four-stroke engine.

Specifications (X-Air "S")

References

External links