The Groppo XL and Groppo Trail are very similar single engine, tandem 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 planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

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 conventional three-axis control aircraft with ailer ...

designed and built in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. Both can be supplied complete or in kit form. The two models differ chiefly in

undercarriage Undercarriage is the part of a moving vehicle that is underneath the main body of the vehicle. The term originally applied to this part of a horse-drawn carriage, and usage has since broadened to include: *The landing gear of an aircraft. *The ch ...

type.

Design and development

Apart from their undercarriage configurations, the XL ( tricycle) and Trail ( tailwheel) are essentially the same aircraft, with common layout, aerodynamics, dimensions and engine choices. The high wings have constant

chord Chord may refer to: * Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously ** Guitar chord a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning * Chord (geometry), a line segment joining two points on a curve * Chord ( ...

and blunt tips. They are braced to the lower

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...

with a single lift strut on each side. The ailerons are

piano hinge A hinge is a mechanical bearing that connects two solid objects, typically allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. Two objects connected by an ideal hinge rotate relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation: all other ...

d, with plain flaps inboard. Fin and rudder are straight edged and swept but the

cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a canti ...

horizontal surfaces are rectangular; the port

elevator An elevator or lift is a wire rope, cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or deck (building), decks of a building, watercraft, ...

carries a trim tab. Both wing and tailplane can be folded back for transport, the wings rotating by 90° about their axis to lie alongside the fuselage. The wings are made from aluminium. The flat sided fuselage is built around a welded chrome-molybdenum steel frame which is skinned with riveted metal. A

composite Composite or compositing may refer to: Materials * Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances ** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts ** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials ...

cowling covers the flat-four engine which may be a

Rotax 912UL The Rotax 912 is a horizontally-opposed four-cylinder, naturally aspirated, four-stroke aircraft engine with a reduction gearbox. It features liquid-cooled cylinder heads and air-cooled cylinders. Originally equipped with carburetors, late ...

Sauer S 2400 UL The Sauer S 2400 UL is a 4 stroke aircraft engine for Homebuilt aircraft, homebuilt and ultralight aircraft.

, Sauer S 2200 UL a

Jabiru 2200 The Jabiru 2200 is a lightweight naturally aspirated, pushrod four-stroke, flat four, air-cooled aircraft engine produced by Jabiru Aircraft. Design and development The conventional direct-drive engine is fitted with an alternator, silencers, ...

, Westlake A80 or other engine of similar power, driving a GT two-blade

propeller A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...

. The cockpit seats two in tandem under the wing, with a transparency built into the

leading edge The leading edge of an airfoil surface such as a wing is its foremost edge and is therefore the part which first meets the oncoming air.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, ...

for a better upward view from the front seat. There is a wide, upward hinged,

starboard Port and starboard are nautical terms for watercraft and aircraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the bow (front). Vessels with bilateral symmetry have left and right halves which are ...

side glazed door for access into both seats. There is a rear-view transparency in the fairing behind the accommodation, over the tapered fuselage.Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 58. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. The Trail has a fixed tailwheel undercarriage, with the mainwheels mounted onto the lower fuselage on cantilever aluminium spring legs. Ground steering is by differential

hydraulic brakes A hydraulic brake is an arrangement of braking mechanism which uses brake fluid, typically containing glycol ethers or diethylene glycol, to transfer pressure from the controlling mechanism to the braking mechanism. History During 1904, Frederick ...

. Larger wheels are an option for rough ground operation. The XL has similarly sprung mainwheels, though mounted further aft and in fairings. Its nosewheel is also faired. The Trail is derived from the XL and made its first appearance at AERO Friedrichshafen in April 2009, though it is not known if it had then already flown.

Operational history

50 Trails had been built by the end of 2010. UK marketing began that year and one aircraft was UK registered in December 2010.

Specifications (Rotax 912 engine)

References

External links

*
Groppo Trail: Italy’s Affordable LSA
review on AVweb {{Nando Groppo aircraft 2000s Italian sport aircraft High-wing aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 2009