The Gemini Hummingbird is a family of

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

single-seat, twin-engined

ultralight aircraft Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and Aircraft flight control system, conventional three-a ...

. Designed in 1979 and introduced in 1980, the Hummingbird was created by Ed Sweeney and produced by Gemini International. The aircraft was supplied either assembled and ready to fly, or as a kit for amateur construction.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page E-18. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001.

Design and development

The aircraft was designed before the US

FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles Ultralight aircraft exist outside of the United States. In most countries, ultralights are a class of aircraft. A completely different legal concept is valid within the USA. The FAA makes explicitly clear that ultralight vehicles are not air ...

rules, but later versions were intended to specifically fit the category. The Hummingbird features a

high wing A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using aerodynamic lift. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft (in which a r ...

, a

V-tail The V-tail or ''vee-tail'' (sometimes called a butterfly tail or Rudlicki's V-tailGudmundsson S. (2013). "General Aviation Aircraft Design: Applied Methods and Procedures" (Reprint). Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 489. , 9780123973290) of an aircraf ...

, an open cockpit,

tricycle landing gear Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', that is arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has one or more nose wheels in a single front undercarriage and two or more main wheels slightly aft of th ...

and twin, wing-mounted engines in

tractor configuration In aviation, a tractor configuration is a propeller-driven fixed-wing aircraft with its engine mounted with the propeller in front, so that the aircraft is "pulled" through the air. This is the usual configuration; the pusher configuration ...

. The aircraft is made from

aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

tubing, with its flying surfaces covered in

Dacron Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods ...

sailcloth. Its 70% double-surface, span wing is cable-braced from an inverted "V" kingpost on early models and is

strut-braced In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of struts, which act in ...

on later versions. The pilot is accommodated in a web sling seat that allows for foot-launching, an unwritten requirement for ultralights in the USA prior to FAR 103. The controls are three-axis, but on the Sport model, the control stick activates all surfaces, including the ruddervators. The later 103 model introduced rudder pedals. The landing gear lacks suspension, but features nosewheel steering. Both models had structurally sound designs, and could maintain altitude on one engine. The more powerful Prospector engine equipped models are able to climb on one engine. The 103 models were able to fold completely flat for easy transport or storage. They were designed to be transported on top of a car and required two people to set up. In 2009, Sweeney was experimenting with electric motors on one of his Hummingbirds, but no test flights were conducted.

Variants

;Hummingbird Sport :Single-seat cable-braced model, powered by two single-cylinder

Husqvarna AB The Husqvarna Group () is a Swedish manufacturer of outdoor power products including robotic lawn mowers, chainsaws, trimmers, brushcutters, cultivators, and garden tractors. Founded as a firearms manufacturer in 1689, it is one of the old ...

Partner chainsaw engines with reduction drives installed or, later, two twin-cylinder

Limbach Flugmotoren Limbach Flugmotoren (''Limbach Aero Engines'') is a Chinese-owned company based in Germany that produces aircraft engines. History The company is named after Peter Limbach who expanded his father's engine repair business in the 1970s in Köni ...

engines. The Sport has an empty weight of and a gross weight of . ;Hummingbird 103 :Improved,

single-seat model for FAR 103 rules, powered by two Solo 335 engines of . Was capable of folding flat for transport or storage. ;Hummingbird 2 :Two-seat model, with a structurally stronger airframe. It was considered a

Light-Sport Aircraft A light-sport aircraft (LSA), or light sport aircraft, is a category of small, lightweight aircraft that are simple to fly. LSAs tend to be heavier and more sophisticated than ultralight (aka "microlight") aircraft, but LSA restrictions on weigh ...

instead of an ultralight, because it had two seats. Only one prototype was ever produced.

Specifications (Hummingbird 103)

References

External links

Photo of Gemini Hummingbird
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530213743/http://virtualultralightmuseum.com/hummingbirdsportcc.jpg , date=2012-05-30 1980s United States ultralight aircraft Homebuilt aircraft

Hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Cen ...

Parasol-wing aircraft Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1979 Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear

Design and development

Variants

Specifications (Hummingbird 103)

See also

References

External links