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The Ruppert Archaeopteryx (English: ancient wing) is a Swiss high-wing, pod-and-boom, single-seat, microlift glider that was designed by Roger Ruppert and is produced by Ruppert Composite GmbH.[2][3][4]

Archaeopteryx
Archaeopteryx Race being footlaunched
Role	Glider Type of aircraft
National origin	Switzerland
Manufacturer	Ruppert Composite GmbH
Designer	Roger Ruppert
First flight	September 2001
Introduction	2001
Status	In series production
Produced	2010-present
Number built	18 (2021)[1]

The aircraft is named for the feathered Archaeopteryx dinosaur.

Design and development

The Archaeopteryx was conceived as a foot-launchable microlift sailplane, with the design goals of a light empty weight, low stall speed with gentle stall characteristics, good maneuverability and good high speed performance. A further goal was a sailplane that could be foot-launched in zero wind conditions.[2]

The Archaeopteryx design started in 1998 at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) as a research project. The first flight of the initial prototype was in September 2001. Based on initial lessons the prototype was modified and reflown in May 2002. Further flight tests and modifications were carried out, with the prototype re-flying in its new form in March 2003. The production prototype design was started in 2006 and completed in 2009. The first series production started in the summer of 2009 and production deliveries to customers commenced in May 2010. By the summer of 2021, 18 aircraft had been delivered to customers in Australia, Argentina, Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland.[1][3][5]

The controls are conventional, with a stick for ailerons and elevator and rudder pedals. The aircraft uses flaps for glidepath control, which function as airbrakes when set to 45-70 degrees. A ballistic parachute with an area of 62 m² (670 sq ft) is also fitted. The aircraft can be rigged for flight by one person in 15 minutes. It has been launched by foot, aero-tow, bungee launch, auto-tow and winch-launch and has been landed on its wheel and foot-landed as well.[6][7][8][9]

The aircraft can accommodate pilots from 165 to 195 cm (65 to 77 in) in height and 55 to 100 kg (121 to 220 lb).[10]

The company further developed a prototype equipped with two electric motors to provide self-launch capability.[11] This prototype did not have satisfactory performance, and a single electric motor version was developed instead. This electric propulsion was introduced in mid-2014 to allow self-launching. About two dozen have been sold (and some were retrofitted to earlier sold models). Takeoff roll distance is 50 m (160 ft) and rate of climb when fully charged is 2.5 m/s (8.2 ft/s). It can run at full power for 11 minutes on one charge. The electrical motor uses 10.5 kW at 3800 rpm, and the propeller delivers 370 N when flying at 75 km/h. Storage is a 14s1p lithium polymer battery (Kokam) with 40 Ah capacity, delivering 2.07 kWh, maximum 58.8 V and maximum continuous current of 200 amps.[12]

Variants

Archaeopteryx Standard

Basic design without cockpit fairing[13]

Archaeopteryx Performance

Basic design, with cockpit fairing; no longer in production[13][14]

Archaeopteryx Race

Basic design, with cockpit fairing and windshield[13]

Archaeopteryx Electro

Race version with electrical propulsion[15]

Specifications (Standard)

Data from Sailplane Directory, company website and flight manual[2][10][12]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 5.7 m (18 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 13.6 m (44 ft 7 in)
• Height: 2.9 m (9 ft 7 in)
• Wing area: 12.8 m² (138 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 54 kg (119 lb)
• Gross weight: 160 kg (353 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 191 kg (421 lb)

Performance

• Cruise speed: 57.5 km/h (35.7 mph, 31.0 kn)
• Stall speed: 30–39 km/h (19–24 mph, 16–21 kn)
• Never exceed speed: 130 km/h (81 mph, 70 kn)
• g limits: +4.0 / -2.0 at 130 km/h and +5.1 / -3.1 at 100 km/h
• Maximum glide ratio: 28:1
• Rate of sink: 0.50 m/s (98 ft/min)

Avionics

• Flytec 6030 GPS w/ Flarm[16]

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Aériane Swift
• Hall Vector 1
• Maupin Carbon Dragon
• Rensselaer RP-1

Related lists

• List of gliders

References

External links

• Official website
• Archaeopteryx foot launch at YouTube
• Archaeopteryx bungee launch at YouTube
• Archaeopteryx landing at YouTube
• Archaeopteryx Electro take-off and landing at YouTube

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