| Sirius | |
|---|---|
| Role | Motor glider |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Alpaero |
| Designer | Claude Noin |
| First flight | August 1984 |
| Status | Production completed |
| Number built | 20 (1998) |
The Alpaero Sirius, also called the Noin Sirius, is a French high-wing, strut-braced, pod-and-boom, cruciform tail, single-seat motor glider that was designed by Claude Noin and produced by his company, Alpaero of Châteauvieux, Hautes-Alpes. It was available as plans for amateur construction and also as a kit, but has been discontinued.[1][2]
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Named for the star, the prototype Sirius was made from wood, tube and aircraft fabric and first flew in August 1984. The prototype had an 11 m (36.1 ft) wingspan.[2]
The production Sirius fuselage is predominately made from fibreglass, with wooden bulkheads. The 13.4 m (44.0 ft) span tapered wing has a wooden spar and Styrofoam wing ribs reinforced with fibreglass and features air brakes on the top surface for glidepath control. The wing's leading edge is fabricated from hot-wire cut foam, laminated with fibreglass. The wing and rudder are fabric covered. The fixed landing gear is a centre-line bicycle gear, with auxiliary wing tip and tail wheels. The main wheel has a drum brake. The 18 kW (24 hp) König SC 430 engine, or alternatively the 13.5 kW (18 hp) JPX D-320 engine, is mounted behind the cockpit and beneath the tail boom in pusher configuration and features a propeller guard plate just behind the main wheel. The propeller is a fixed pitch two-bladed design with small diameter. The cockpit width is 53 cm (21 in) and the best glide ratio is 23:1.[1][2]
In 1998 the design was available as plans for US$220 or as a kit for US$7900. Building time from the kit was estimated as 700 hours.[1]
Data from Purdy and company website[1][2]
General characteristics
Performance
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