TYPE: Single-seat ultralight helicopter kitbuilt.
PROGRAMME: First flight 2000; total 130 hours of airborne time by July 2003. Holds Canadian amateur-builder's certificate of airworthiness.
CUSTOMERS: Prototype, plus one sold to US owner by mid-2003.
COSTS: Kit US$19,995; or US$17,995 upon evidence of helicopter flying instruction (2003).
DESIGN FEATURES: Minimalist helicopter to FAR Pt 103 regulation. Vertically mounted engine driving main rotor via toothed belt as second-stage reduction gear. Tailboom supported by V strut.
Semi-rigid main rotor. Unique control system: main rotor control from floor-mounted stick and collective through control mixer at base of main mast, then through push tubes in main mast to base of swashplate; last-mentioned is contained within mast and supported by a pushrod in rotor shaft. Control rods each side of pushrod transmit inputs through rotor shaft to control lever on top of main shaft and down to blade pitch horns through pitch links. Tail rotor controlled by foot pedals through Bowden cable to actuating lever on tail rotor shaft.
Main rotor speed 500rpm; tail rotor 2,500rpm. Quoted build time 200 hours.
STRUCTURE: Frame of 6061-T6 aluminium; glass fibre tripod landing gear; carbon fibre tailboom and V struts. Main rotor hlades constructed upon aluminium spar bonded to wrapped aluminium sheet skin; foam sealer plugs both ends. Titanium main gearbox; aluminium fuel tanks.
POWER PLANT: One 44.7kW Zanzottera MZ202 two-cylinder two-stroke with electric starter and directly attached primary reduction gear. Clutch and overspeed provision during autorotation. Flexible couplings and flexible driveshaft transmit power to tail rotor. Total fuel 19 litres in two tanks.
Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 2004-2005
Links:
DATAEN # "Mosquito"
