The Applebay Zia is an American, single-seat,
high-wing
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple wings.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing config ...
, twin-boom,
pusher configuration
In aeronautical and naval engineering, pusher configuration is the term used to describe a drivetrain of air- or watercraft with propulsion device(s) after the engine(s). This is in contrast to the more conventional tractor configuration, wh ...
motor glider
A motor glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that can be flown with or without engine power. The FAI Gliding Commission Sporting Code definition is: a fixed-wing aerodyne equipped with a means of propulsion (MoP), capable of sustained soaring flig ...
that was designed by
George Applebay for the 1982 Sailplane Homebuilders Association Homebuilt Sailplane Design Contest. The aircraft was intended to be offered as a factory completed aircraft or as a
kit.
[Said, Bob: ''1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine'', page 133. Soaring Society of America, November 1983. USPS 499-920] It first flew in 1982.
Design and development
Even though the Zia was designed for the 1982 Sailplane Homebuilders Association Homebuilt Sailplane Design Contest, it was withdrawn from the competition as it required changes during the contest period, which the rules prohibited. In fact the design that was to become the Zia went through six different configurations, starting as a
canard.
The aircraft is named for the
Zia people.
The Zia is constructed from
fiberglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...
with a
carbon fiber
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers ( Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon comp ...
wing
spar. The aircraft has fixed
tricycle 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 ...
featuring
wheel pants
An aircraft fairing is a structure whose primary function is to produce a smooth outline and reduce drag.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, Third Edition'', page 206. Aviation Supplies & Academics Inc, Newcastle Washington, 1997. ...
. The specified engine is the
Rotax 277
The Rotax 277 is a , Single-cylinder engine, single-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, that was built by Rotax, BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catalog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge ...
two-stroke
A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes of the piston, one up and one down, in one revolution of the crankshaft in contrast to a four-stroke engine which re ...
, which is started with a manual
recoil starter
Rope start (also called ripcord , ''pull start'', or ''rewind start'') is a method of starting an internal combustion engine, usually on small machines, such as lawn mowers, chainsaws, grass trimmers, ultralight aircraft, small outboard mot ...
. The aircraft has
flaps which deploy to 45° and retract anytime the flap handle is released, intentionally preventing the use of flaps and throttle at the same time. Fuel is carried in the left wing root tank.
The Zia was placed in series production in the fall of 1983 but only four were completed, including the prototype. The design was not
type certified
A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). Certification confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production is in compliance w ...
and all examples produced were registered in the ''Experimental'' category
Operational history
In March 2011 there were still two Zias registered in the US, including one owned by the designer.
Aircraft on display
*
US Southwest Soaring Museum
The US Southwest Soaring Museum is an aviation museum, located at 918 E US Route 66, in Moriarty, New Mexico, United States that focuses on the history of gliding in the western United States. The museum is an affiliate member of the Soaring Soci ...
Specifications (Zia)
See also
References
{{Applebay Sailplanes
1980s United States sailplanes
Zia
Aircraft first flown in 1982
Twin-boom aircraft
Motor gliders
Single-engined pusher aircraft
Twin-tail aircraft
High-wing aircraft
Aircraft with fixed tricycle landing gear
Single-engined piston aircraft