The InterPlane Skyboy is a two-seat, side-by-side, high wing, single engine,

pusher configuration In an aircraft with a pusher configuration (as opposed to a tractor configuration), the propeller(s) are mounted behind their respective engine(s). Since a pusher propeller is mounted behind the engine, the drive shaft is in compression in nor ...

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 ...

that was manufactured as a completed aircraft by

InterPlane Aircraft InterPlane Aircraft sro, also called InterPlane Aircraft, Inc., was a Czech aircraft manufacturer based in Zbraslavice and founded in 1992. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of ultralight aircraft in the form of kits for ama ...

Zbraslavice Zbraslavice (german: Sbraslawitz) is a municipality and village in Kutná Hora District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historicall ...

, Czech Republic.

Design and development

The Skyboy was designed in 1992 specifically for the German market as a trainer. It was adapted for the US FAR 103 ''Ultralight Vehicles'' category for use as a two-seat trainer under the FAR 103 trainer exemption. It later became available as a US

light-sport aircraft A light-sport aircraft (LSA), or light sport aircraft, is a fairly new 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 restrictio ...

. The aircraft is available in Canada as an Advanced Ultralight Aeroplane. The Skyboy wing is built from aluminum extrusions for the spars and wing ribs and covered with doped aircraft fabric. The wing's leading edge is Mylar covered in fabric, to increase stiffness. The wing is supported by "V" struts and utilizes

jury struts 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 strut, which act in ...

. The fuselage is built upon an aluminum main tube that runs from the tail right to the rudder pedals. The wings and horizontal tail surfaces can be folded for trailering or storage. The cabin is constructed from two fibreglass shells, joined together. The rear of the cabin is covered in aircraft fabric. The optional cabin doors open upwards. Controls are conventional three-axis. The control stick is a centrally mounted "Y" stick, between the two seats that can be used from either seat. The Skyboy has a distinctive main landing gear, consisting of a trailing idler link, with suspension consisting of a coil spring mounted over a shock absorber. The company describes the main landing gear: "one of the best landing gears in the market (makes bad landings look good)". The available engines include the Rotax 582,

Rotax 912 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 ...

, Rotax 912S and the Jabiru 2200. The Rotax 503 was available at the beginning of production, but did not provide adequate performance. The Skyboy has never been available as a kit aircraft, but only as a factory-complete, ready-to-fly product. Labour wage levels in the Czech Republic have meant that its price has been generally similar to buying unassembled kits for North American buyers. In 2008 the completed Skyboy base model sold for about US$60,000.

Operational history

Aside from its

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 ...

and recreational aircraft roles, the Skyboy has been employed in South Africa for surveillance duties, in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

for professional aerial photography and in Mexico for tourist sightseeing flights.

Variants

;Skyboy UL :To stay below the exemption's empty weight limit the aircraft was marketed without cabin doors, wheel pants and hydraulic brakes, using mechanical brakes instead and with a gross weight. The initial engine was the Rotax 503 and later the Rotax 582. ;Skyboy S :Higher gross weight version for Europe and Canada, with the Rotax 582 or larger engines. ;Skyboy ZK : gross weight version, with the Rotax 582 engine.

Specifications (Skyboy S)

Bibliography

;Notes ;References * - Total pages: 432 * - Total pages: 310

External links