Guest OzChris Posted December 6, 2008 Share Posted December 6, 2008 Lightning Aircraft... (taken from my site) This is one Strong and Beautiful Aircraft! The Arion Aircraft design team cut their teeth in the amateur built light plane sector of the aviation world over the last 15 years. After progressing from Kolbs to Titans to RV's and Esquals, the vision began to emerge of a new sort of light aircraft. One that would look great and offer outstanding performance while remaining affordable for the average amateur builder. To that end four clear design goals emerged: 1. Generous Margins for Safety and Strength 2. Simplicity of Systems for Quick Easy Construction 3. High Performance per HP 4. Excellent Flying Qualities Safety & Strength .... The structure of the Lightning was tested extensively for symmetrical and asymmetrical flight loads to over 9 G at a gross weight of 1320 lbs. Torsional testing of the fuselage and tail, load testing of welded parts round out the strength testing profile. Ballistic Recovery Systems Inc was brought in to help design a safe, strong recovery system for the Lightning. Our fiberglass craftsmen were able to hide the installation inside the molded skins so the good looks of the Lightning would not be changed. Simplicity .... Through a novel mix of molded fiberglass components and welded 4130 steel structures, Arion's team was able to engineer a construction method where no epoxy layups are needed to complete the kit. Just open the box, trim and fit the parts, complete some final fabrication of the parts and bolt the plane together. Top quality aircraft grade hardware is used throughout. Performance .... The Lightning cruises at 150 - 170 mph on 120 hp, burning 5.5 gallons per hour. Solo climb rates settle in at 1700 fpm. Roll rates exceed 45 degrees/second. Top speed is 190 mph. Need we say more...? Flying .... Quick to respond, eager to turn, anxious to accelerate ... this airplane exhibits the strength, speed, and agility of its namesake; Arion, the immortal horse of Hercules. Yet control is stable, light, and intuitive. Just "think" a maneuver and it just seems to happen. In the pattern Lightning slows unbelievably well to a touchdown speed under 50 mph. Slow speed handling in the pattern is solid. It's a cool cat in the pattern but that Tiger's heart is ready to roar. SAFETY: Lightning's structure was tested and then tested again for static, torsional, and dynamic loads. The structure of this airplane tests better than 95% of all general aviation aircraft flying today. Special attention was paid to the roll over structure in the cockpit. The fiberglass box frame in the turtledeck along with the strong frame at the canopy rear will hold up in a nose over. The fuselage sides were designed strong to keep the cockpit intact. Seat belts were specially designed for the highest loads. Contact: DENNIS BORCHARDT (08) 8767 2145 [email protected] Visit: www.lightningaircraft.com.au Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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