The Silent Family Silent Glider M is a German ultralight trike motor glider, designed by Helmut Grossklaus and produced by Silent Family of Westerrade. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.[1]
| Silent Glider M | |
|---|---|
| Role | Ultralight trike motor glider Type of aircraft |
| National origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer | Silent Family |
| Designer | Helmut Grossklaus |
| Status | In production (2013) |
The Silent Glider M was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category and the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules. It features a cable-braced rigid hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift pitch controls and aerodynamic roll controls, a single-seat enclosed cockpit with a bubble canopy, retractable tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.[1]
The aircraft is made from composites, with its double surface rigid wing mounted with the pitch control bar though a slot in the bubble canopy. The pilot seating position is reclined. Various rigid wings can be used and the typical one has a 14.0 m (45.9 ft) span. The powerplant is a single cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke, 28 hp (21 kW) Hirth F33 engine or, optionally, a Geiger or Flytec electric motor, powering a two-bladed folding composite propeller. With the Hirth engine the aircraft has an empty weight of 118.5 kg (261 lb) and a gross weight of 231 kg (509 lb), giving a useful load of 112.5 kg (248 lb). With full fuel of 22 litres (4.8 imp gal; 5.8 US gal) the payload is 97 kg (214 lb).[1]
The Silent Glider M can use the Aeros Stalker, A-I-R Atos or Flight Design Exxtacy wings, which are provided by the builder. The fuselage and wing combination produces a 20:1 glide ratio and a minimum sink rate of 0.8 m/s (160 ft/min).[2][3]
Data from Bayerl[1]
General characteristics
Performance
Silent Family aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Ultralight trikes | |