Aériane Swift

Aeriane Swift foot launched glider

The Aériane SWIFT (Swept Wing with Inboard Flap Trim) was originally conceived as a rigid hang glider with sailplane-like performance. It was designed in a collaboration between Bright Star Gliders and Ilan Kroo, a professor at Stanford University, along with a group of Stanford graduate students. The basic Swift itself is marketed as a foot-launched sailplane, and claims to be unique in this regard. A number of different fuselage frames have been fitted to the wings to create: a two-seat glider (the Tandem Swift), a self-launching glider (the Swift-PAS), and a motor-glider (the P-Swift). The various fuselage frames are interchangeable and any can be added to the same basic wing. The firm has released a refined version of the wing as the Swift'Lite.[1]

Specifications (Swift'Lite)

Data from [2]

General characteristics

Performance


Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

'The electric Swift' an Icaro Swift variant that gets 20 minutes of powered flight per charge.[3]

Mitchell U-2 Superwing

See also

References

  1. Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, pages 41 and 52. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X
  2. "Development of the SWIFT". USA: aero.stanford.edu. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  3. Icaro 2000, the electric Swift