Phoenix
103, Phoenix 103 part 103 legal ultralight by Wings of
Freedom Aviation, Light Sport Aircraft Pilot News
newsmagazine.
|
|
|
Light Sport Aircraft Pilot is a directory of aircraft that generally fit
into what are described as ultralight aircraft, advanced ultralight
aircraft,
light sport aircraft, experimental light sport aircraft, experimental
aircraft, amateur built aircraft, ELSA or homebuilt
aircraft in the United States and Canada. These include
weight shift aircraft, more commonly known as trikes,
powered parachutes, and powered para-gliders.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Phoenix 103
part 103 legal ultralight, experimental amateur built
aircraft by Wings of Freedom Aviation.
|
|
Mark Klotz has been in the ultralight business since the mid
90's, building parts, selling ultralight plans, and is now
offering complete ultralight kits and or turn key fly away
aircraft.
His plans built ultralight, experimental amateur built
aircraft include the Skylite, Flitplane, and if he gets
enough interest the Lil Bitts
bi-plane.
About a month or so before Sun N Fun this year I received a
call from Mark asking if I was going to Sun N Fun and
wondering if I would be willing to pull a trailer with his
latest creation the Phoenix 103, down to the show.
Then a week or so later he had to phone and cancel because a
customer had suffered some damage to his plane during in a
wind storm and Mark had
the job of repairing it. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
So I am on my way to Airventure, I stop for gas
just outside of Green Bay Wisconsin and who goes
driving by pulling a trailer with an aircraft
neatly packaged up on it, but Mark Klotz! A
couple of days later, when the ultralight
section was dry enough to allow us in, I found
that Mark didn't have one Phoenix 103 on the
trailer, he had two!
Mark is finding more and more interest in
affordable single place part 103 ultralights,
and so has spent about two years refining his
Phoenix 103 to fit into that category.
It hasn't been easy, he has literally had
to design and then redesign parts to get the
weight down, without sacrificing strength and
safety.
He has lightened but actually
strengthened the nose gear, lightened the flap
handle, saved three lbs by using a plastic gas
tank over his original spun aluminum tank,
changed from a plastic to an aluminum seat.
Ounce by ounce he worked away until he had a
legal part 103 ultralight.
Both aircraft on display at Airventure 2010 were
part 103 legal ultralights, one powered by a
MZ 201 45hp with belt
drive and electric start, while the other had a
twin cylinder Hirth F23 of 50 HP! That is right
50 HP. The engine apparently is Hirth's
"ultralight version" which only has a pull
start, and uses a lighter flywheel to eliminate
some of the weight!
Mark indicates that to make part 103 his magic
number for engine weight is between 70 to 75
lbs. The Hirth F23 comes in at 71 lbs, with a
2.5-1 reduction drive, dual cdi igntion, dual
carbs, and a three blade 62 inch propeller.
The Phoenix 103 is a pusher, with tri-cycle landing
gear, and a steerable nose wheel. It uses a control
yoke rather than a stick, Mark expects to have a
stick version also available by fall. Has true
three axis control with ailerons and flaps comes
with a 5 gallon fuel tank, brakes, instruments
and a windshield.
With a 175 lbs pilot, and 5 gallons of fuel the
Phoenix 103 stalls at 28 mph, cruise 55 to 60
mph, climb rate with the 50 HP Hirth is
"phenomenal"! Mark has delivered eight kits over
the last year, and has about a 6 week delivery
time for a new kit.
For more information contact:
Wings of Freedom, LLC
Hubbard, Ohio
44425
330-534-5548
www.wingsoffreedomaviation.com
|
Flitplane |
|
Skylite |
|
Lil Bitts |
|
|
|
|
Phoenix 103 part 103
legal ultralight, experimental amateur built aircraft by
Wings of Freedom Aviation. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Light Sport Aircraft Pilot News Web Magazine.
You may link to these pages or print
them out for your own personal use.
No part of this
publication may be copied or distributed, transmitted, transcribed,
stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any human or computer
language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
manual, or otherwise, without the written permission of Light Sport
Aircraft Pilot News.
By copying or paraphrasing the intellectual
property on this site, you're automatically signing a binding contract
and agreeing to be billed $10,000 payable immediately. Copyright Light Sport Aircraft
Pilot News. Email
|
|
|
|
