Rainbow Cheetah

Cheetah
Role Ultralight aircraft and Light-sport aircraft
National origin South Africa
Manufacturer Rainbow Aircraft
Designer Vladimir Chechin
Status In production (2012)
Developed from Best Off Skyranger
Variants Rainbow Cheetah XLS

The Rainbow Cheetah a South African ultralight and light-sport aircraft, designed by Vladimir Chechin and produced by Rainbow Aircraft. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.[1]

Design and development

The aircraft was derived from the Best Off Skyranger[1] and designed to comply with Canadian Advanced Ultralight criteria and the US light-sport aircraft rules. It features a strut-braced high-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit with optional doors for access, fixed tricycle landing gear or optionally conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.[1][2]

The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its flying surfaces covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 9.6 m (31.5 ft) span wing has an area of 13.25 m2 (142.6 sq ft) and mounts flaps. Standard engines available are the 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 two-stroke, the 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL and the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS four-stroke powerplants.[1]

The Cheetah XLS has been accepted by Transport Canada as an Advanced Ultralight as both a land plane and seaplane, powered by the Rotax 582 two-stroke, the Rotax 912UL, the Rotax 912ULS, the Verner VM133 and the 85 hp (63 kW) Jabiru 2200A engines.[3]

Operational history

By August 2012 there were three Cheetahs on the Federal Aviation Administration registry and two on the Transport Canada Civil Aircraft Register.[4][5]

Variants

Cheetah XLS
Current production model (2012) with tricycle landing gear.[1][6]
Cheetah XLS Taildragger
Current production model (2012) with conventional landing gear.[1][7]

Specifications (Cheetah XLS)

Data from Bayerl and manufacturer[1][8]

General characteristics

Performance

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 72. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  2. Experimental Aircraft Association (2012). "EAA's Listing of Special Light-Sport Aircraft". Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  3. Transport Canada (15 August 2012). "Listing of Models Eligible to be Registered as Advanced Ultra-Light Aeroplanes (AULA)". Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  4. Federal Aviation Administration (27 August 2012). "Make / Model Inquiry Results". Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  5. Transport Canada (27 August 2012). "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register". Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  6. "Rainbow Aircraft Cheetah XLS". Rainbowaircraft.co.za. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
  7. "Rainbow Aircraft Cheetah XLS Taildragger". Rainbowaircraft.co.za. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
  8. "Raindow Aircraft Cheetah XLS Specifications". Rainbowaircraft.co.za. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
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