The Summit 103 Mini Breeze is an American

powered parachute A powered parachute, often abbreviated PPC, and also called a motorized parachute or paraplane, is a type of aircraft that consists of a parafoil with a motor and wheels. The FAA defines a powered parachute as ''a powered aircraft a flexible o ...

, designed and produced by Summit Aerosports of Yale, Michigan.Bernard, Mary and Suzanne B. Bopp: ''Summit Aerosports: Summit 2, Steel Breeze and Mini Breeze'', Kitplanes, Volume 29, Number 12, December 2012, pages 27-28. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851

Design and development

The aircraft was designed to comply with the US

FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles Ultralight aircraft in the United States are much smaller and lighter than ultralight aircraft as defined by all other countries. In the United States, ultralights are described as "ultralight vehicles" and not as aircraft. They are not requ ...

rules, including the category's maximum empty weight of . The Mini Breeze has a standard empty weight of when equipped with a Rotax 447 engine and when equipped with a Rotax 503. It features a

parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...

-style

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 ...

, single-place accommodation,

tricycle landing 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 ...

and a single Rotax 447 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 Rotax 503 engine is a factory option. The Mini Breeze's

airframe The mechanical structure of an aircraft is known as the airframe. This structure is typically considered to include the fuselage, undercarriage, empennage and wings, and excludes the propulsion system. Airframe design is a field of aerospa ...

is built from

TIG-welded Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), also known as tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, is an arc welding process that uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode to produce the weld. The weld area and electrode are protected from oxidation or other atmo ...

, powder coated

4130 steel 41xx steel is a family of SAE steel grades, as specified by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Alloying elements include chromium and molybdenum, and as a result these materials are often informally referred to as chromoly steel (common ...

tubing. The standard rectangular Mustang S-380 canopy has an area of and is attached at four points to increase stability. The Mustang S-380 allows a gross weight of . Optional canopies include the elliptical Mustang E-280 and the elliptical Thunderbolt E-310 which both allow a gross weight of . In-flight steering is accomplished via foot pedals that actuate the canopy brakes, creating roll and yaw. On the ground the aircraft has nosewheel steering controlled by a butterfly steering wheel and the main landing gear incorporates bungee suspension. The aircraft is factory supplied complete.

Specifications (103 Mini Breeze)

References

External links

* {{Aircraft Sales And Parts 2000s United States ultralight aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft Powered parachutes