Lazair
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The UltraFlight Lazair is a family of
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
designed and built twin-engine
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 ...
that were sold in kit form between 1979 and 1984. It was one of the first twin-engined ultralights. More Lazairs have been registered in Canada than any other type of Canadian aircraft.Hunt, Adam & Ruth Merkis-Hunt: ''Skeletal Remains'', pages 64-70. Kitplanes Magazine, September 2000. In 2019,
Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (, trading as Canada Post (), is a Canadian Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the operating name of the Post Office Department of the Can ...
issued a stamp in honour of the Lazair.


Development

Dale Kramer visited the Oshkosh EAA convention in 1977, where he saw the potential of the ultralight aircraft present. He built and flew an early type of Superfloater ultralight sailplane. Kramer took it to the next year's Oshkosh, where he met Ed Sweeney. Later they fitted it with two of Sweeney's engine kits. Kramer kept the engines and designed a new plane for them, which would remedy the deficiencies he saw in the Superfloater.Dale Kramer; "Remembering Peter Corley: and the birth of the Lasair ultralight", ''free flight'', Issue 2004/4 August/September, 2004, Page

/ref> He started with a blank sheet of paper and designed a completely new aircraft, the Lazair, even going so far as to design a custom
airfoil An airfoil (American English) or aerofoil (British English) is a streamlined body that is capable of generating significantly more Lift (force), lift than Drag (physics), drag. Wings, sails and propeller blades are examples of airfoils. Foil (fl ...
for it. He named it Lazair for several reasons, including a reference to the successful Laser sailing dinghy of Canadian design, as a contraction of "lazy air" due to the slow cruising speed, and as an allusion to "
laissez-faire ''Laissez-faire'' ( , from , ) is a type of economic system in which transactions between private groups of people are free from any form of economic interventionism (such as subsidies or regulations). As a system of thought, ''laissez-faire'' ...
".Hunt, Adam & Ruth Merkis-Hunt: ''Test Flying Lazair No. 1'', pages 98-106. Kitplanes Magazine, December 2000. Performance was not as good as anticipated. Although Kramer did most of the test piloting, the lighter Peter Corley took it on its first flight in November 1978. The engines were subsequently moved from their original position below the wing to directly in front of the leading edge. The improvement in performance proved definitive and in this form they demonstrated the prototype Lazair at the EAA
Sun 'n Fun Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo (officially styled SUN 'n FUN) is a nonprofit organization in Lakeland, Florida dedicated to the promotion of aviation education. It is best known for the annual week-long fly-in and airshow at Lakeland Linder Intern ...
International Fly-In and Expo, Florida, in March 1979. It won the award for best home-built microlight, repeating the accolade at Oshkosh that year and receiving thirty-three orders on the spot. Kramer began series production, with Corley as his first demonstration pilot.John Partridge
"Success on the Wing"
''The Financial Post Magazine'', 1 August 1982, pages 10-16.


Design

The Lazair I is a single-seat conventional high-wing monoplane with an open fuselage frame,
inverted 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 ...
and twin tractor propellers. As an ultralight aircraft designed for low flying speeds, the fuselage comprises an open frame of aluminum tube supporting the open cockpit, tricycle undercarriage and inverted-V tail. The wing is mounted at the top of the fuselage frame with additional outboard diagonal bracing struts. It is of straight, constant taper, high
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 ...
planform. The airfoil section is of Kramer's own design and incorporates reverse camber at the trailing edge, giving an S-shaped camber line. The wing has a progressive and constant washout, or reduction in angle of incidence from
root In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...
to tip. It also features some of the first modern
winglets Wingtip devices are intended to improve the efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft by reducing drag. Although there are several types of wing tip devices which function in different manners, their intended effect is always to reduce an aircraft ...
to be seen on a light aircraft. This combination produces an aircraft with optimized low-speed handling and very gentle stall characteristics. The high aspect ratio wing also made the Lazair a good glider, giving it a 12:1
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 ...
, and it could be soared in even light
thermal A thermal column (or thermal) is a rising mass of buoyant air, a convective current in the atmosphere, that transfers heat energy vertically. Thermals are created by the uneven heating of Earth's surface from solar radiation, and are an example ...
conditions. The wing structure comprises an
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 ...
"D" cell
leading edge The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air;Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil sectio ...
, foam ribs and an aluminum tubular
trailing edge The trailing edge of an aerodynamic surface such as a wing is its rear edge, where the airflow separated by the leading edge meets.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 521. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. ...
.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page E-21. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. The wing and tail covering for the first 50 Lazair kits was an opaque urethane-impregnated nylon fabric. This was then changed to translucent
Mylar BoPET (biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate) is a polyester film made from stretched polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and is used for its high tensile strength, chemical stability, dimensional stability, transparency reflectivity, an ...
PET polymer film, attached to the airframe with single- and two-sided tapes. The Mylar proved to have a short service life due to UV damage, so it was eventually replaced by the more expensive
Tedlar Polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) or –(CH2CHF)n– is a polymer material mainly used in the flammability-lowering coatings of airplane interiors and photovoltaic module backsheets. It is also used in raincoats and metal sheeting. Polyvinyl fluoride is a ...
PVF film. For control run simplicity the control stick pivot point was located above the pilot with the stick hanging downwards. Conventional ailerons together with tail
ruddervator 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 ...
s provided full three-axis control, which although standard on conventional aircraft was unusual for ultralights at the time. The
aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement aroun ...
s on the wing and
ruddervator 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 ...
s on the tail were interconnected so that turns were made with connected rudder and aileron by moving the stick to the side. Pitch control was via conventional fore-and-aft stick movement moving the ruddervators together as elevators. Kramer opted for two engines instead of one because he wanted to use two of the largest chainsaw motors to obtain the total of 11 hp (8.2 kW) which he deemed necessary to make his "powered glider" fly with performance that was acceptable to him. He placed the two motors as close together as possible to reduce yaw when one failed. The Lazair was one of the first ultralights to incorporate twin engines, greatly improving the reliability and safety of this class of aircraft. The Lazair was thus built from standard aircraft materials, but it had many innovative design features for an ultralight, including the aerofoil, winglets, inverted-V tail and ruddervators, transparent film covered flying surfaces and twin engines. Later models incorporated many refinements and options including twin seating in tandem, more powerful engines, fuselage fairings and a conventional control stick pivot position.


Production

The first Lazair prototype was constructed by Kramer with some help from Corley and first flown in 1978. In 1979, Kramer formed UltraFlight Incorporated to produce the design in his home town of
Port Colborne, Ontario Port Colborne is a city in Ontario, Canada that is located on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario. The original settlement, known as Gravelly Bay, dates from 1832 and was renamed after ...
. In 1981, "UltraFlight Sales Ltd". was incorporated and sales of all aircraft kits were transferred to that subsidiary. Production ended in 1984, the company citing "liability concerns" and the resulting cost and availability of insurance as the reason. The aircraft were widely sold in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
and the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, making the Lazair the most numerous Canadian-designed aircraft type. The Series II Lazair was the model produced in the largest numbers.


Operational history

In the 21st century many Lazairs are still in use by private owners. As when first introduced, they remain prized for their handling qualities, if not their cruising speed. In November 2007 the Canadian register still carried a total of 460 Lazairs of all models. In the USA where the majority of Lazairs are flown as unregistered FAR Part 103 ultralights there were also ten registered as amateur-builts in November 2007.


Variants and derivatives

;Series I The first Lazair kits were originally marketed just under the model name "Lazair", but were later termed "Series I" after improved models had appeared. From the first Lazair prototype, to the last Lazair kit produced, no changes were made to the aerodynamic design of the wing panels and tail surfaces. All the wing panels had the same airfoil sections, planform, washout, wing tip design, aileron design and incidence to fuselage (including the two place). All the tail surfaces had the same airfoil (flat), planform (minor difference with different tailwheels), washout (none), distance from the wing and incidence to the fuselage. The initial model Lazair was a single-seater with a wingspan and was powered by two 5.5 hp 100 cc Pioneer chainsaw engines, directly driving plastic propellers in tractor configuration. The main landing gear used wheels with a track of just 26 inches, which combined with the long wing span, meant that taxiing in more than of wind required a wing walker. Tail skids were fitted to the inverted V-tail.Hunt, Adam & Ruth Merkis-Hunt: ''Poised to Fly'', pages 76-83. Kitplanes Magazine, October 2000. ;Series II There was customer demand for putting the Lazair on floats, but this required more power than the Pioneer powerplants could develop. The solution was to substitute Rotax 185 engines. These single-cylinder engines were used extensively in forest fire fighting water pumps and had proved reliable in that application. The propellers were the same plastic units used on the Series I with its engines. To absorb the greater power two propellers were stacked to form a "biplane propeller". This was done because UltraFlight had ample supplies of the existing propellers and using them saved money over developing a new propeller. Also, since inception, the Lazair was designed as a powered glider, so stacking of the two propellers in a bi-plane mode created a propeller that had less drag when gliding than if the 4 blades were 90 degrees apart. Any slight loss in thrust due to stacking was accepted since there was less drag when gliding. During the production of the Series II the tail skids were replaced with tail wheels and later on, swiveling wheels. Skis were also available, although open cockpit flying in the winter could be a challenge. Rudder pedals were introduced which allowed side slipping of the aircraft as well as crosswind landings. The rudders could be coupled to the ailerons or de-coupled and controlled by the pedals in flight through a mixer gear. ;Series III The third series of the single-seat Lazair introduced customer-requested upgrades, such as: *landing gear widened to *
jury strut 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 ...
s for increased negative-g tolerance *conventional floor-mounted control stick *toe brakes Power on the Series III is still provided by two Rotax 185 engines with the option of a pair of KFM or JPX PUL 425 engines. ;Elite The Lazair Elite is a limited production aircraft that includes a structurally strengthened airframe using the Lazair II wings and an optional an enclosed cockpit. It is suitable for heavier pilots. ;Lazair II The Lazair II is a two-seater trainer with the seats in side-by-side configuration. It was introduced in 1983 and approximately 50 Lazair II kits were sold. The Lazair II is powered by two JPX PUL 425 engines producing each. The engines are more widely spaced than on the single-seater models which gives it different single engine handling characteristics. ;Lazair SS EC The "SS" is the "Surveillance Special" which was designed for police use, which included the Elite airframe and the 5KFM engines also used on the two-seat Lazair II. The only Lazair SS EC aircraft ever produced was employed by the Monterey Park Police Department in
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. and was used for surveillance during the 1984 Olympics that were held in Los Angeles. ;Electric Lazair (eLazair) In 2011 Lazair designer Dale Kramer introduced an experimental electric-powered Lazair on an amphibious mono-float, with outrigger floats at
AirVenture EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (formerly the EAA Annual Convention and Fly-In), or just Oshkosh, is an annual air show and gathering of aviation enthusiasts held each summer at the Wittman Regional Airport and adjacent Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh, Wiscon ...
. The aircraft is powered by twin
Joby Joby is a given name, sometimes a short form (hypocorism) of Joseph. Notable people with the name include: * Joby Varghese Co-Founder of Sahyavalley Enterprise (Kerala based Indian spices company) *Joby Baker (born 1934), Canadian born actor and ...
JM1 powerplants with Jeti SPIN Pro 300 controllers and dual 16 cell 4 amp-hour battery packs that produce 63 volts, mounted in the wings. The aircraft won ''Antique Ultralight Champion'' and Best ''Ultralight Amphibian'' at AirVenture. The aircraft is an experimental project and no production is planned.Sigler, Dean: ''Dale Kramer and his electric Lazair'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, pages 31-35. Belvoir Publications. The Lazair inspired many other aircraft designers to use the Lazair wing construction techniques. The Blue Yonder Merlin is one aircraft that uses a wing based on the Lazair wing.Hunt, Adam: ''Merlin Magic'',
Canadian Owners and Pilots Association The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) () is a federally registered not-for-profit association that provides information and advocacy services for Canadian pilots who fly for non-commercial purposes. COPA has 13,000 members from ev ...
, COPA Flight, page C-1, February 2005
Armstrong, Kenneth: ''Choosing Your Homebuilt - the one you will finish and fly! Second Edition'', page 195-201. Butterfield Press, 1993.


Regulatory status

In Canada all Lazairs are classified as Basic Ultra-lights. A multi-engine rating is not required to fly the Lazair in Canada as there is no multi-engine rating for ultra-light aeroplanes. In the USA the single-seat models are flown as ultralights under FAR 103, whereas the Lazair II two-seat models are usually registered as experimental amateur-builts.


Aircraft on display

*Lazair SS EC at the
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, also called the Udvar-Hazy Center, is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM)'s annex at Dulles International Airport in the Chantilly area of Fairfax County, Virginia. It holds numerous exhibits, ...
, National Air and Space Museum, Washington Dulles International Airport


Specifications (Lazair Series II)


See also


References


External links


List of Lazairs by registration
* (image)
"Light Stuff" (Lazair review)
16 December 2007, ''Kitplanes'' {{Uncertified aircraft developed in Canada 1970s Canadian ultralight aircraft Homebuilt aircraft V-tail aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1978 Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft Parasol-wing aircraft Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear Lazair