The Ikarus Funflyer is a German

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 ...

, single-place,

hang glider Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised, fixed-wing heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...

, designed by Thomas Pellicci and produced by his company Ikarus Drachen Thomas Pellicci.Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 46. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X

Design and development

The Funflyer is intended to be a simple single surface glider with easy handling and modest performance for student use and

flight training Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills. Flight training can be conducted under a str ...

. It is particularly easy to take-off and land. Unlike many hang glider models, the Funflyer is available in just one size. 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 the wing 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 span wing is cable braced from a single kingpost. The nose angle is 120°, double surface is 35%, wing area is and the

aspect ratio The aspect ratio of a geometry, geometric shape is the ratio of its sizes in different dimensions. For example, the aspect ratio of a rectangle is the ratio of its longer side to its shorter side—the ratio of width to height, when the rectangl ...

is 6.28:1. The glider achieves a

glide ratio In aerodynamics, the lift-to-drag ratio (or L/D ratio) is the lift generated by an aerodynamic body such as an aerofoil or aircraft, divided by the aerodynamic drag caused by moving through air. It describes the aerodynamic efficiency under give ...

of 8:1. The pilot hook-in weight range is . The aircraft can be broken down to a length of for storage and ground transport. It is certified as DHV Class 1.

Specifications (Funflyer)

References

External links

* {{Ikarus Drachen Thomas Pellicci aircraft Hang gliders