The Phantom X1 is a single-engined,
tractor configuration
In aviation, the term tractor configuration refers to an aircraft constructed in the standard configuration with its engine mounted with the propeller in front of it so that the aircraft is "pulled" through the air. Oppositely, the pusher co ...
, single seat, cable-braced high wing
tricycle gear
Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has a single nose wheel in the front, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity. Tricycle g ...
-equipped
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 aile ...
that is produced by
Phantom Aeronautics of
Three Rivers, Michigan
Three Rivers is a city in St. Joseph County, Michigan. The population was 7,973 at the time of the 2020 census.
Three Rivers derives its name from its location at the confluence of the St. Joseph River and two tributaries, the Rocky and Portag ...
and available in
kit form.
[Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, pages B-45, B-93 and E-33. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ][Downey, Julia: ''1999 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 61. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851][Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 221. BAI Communications. ]
The X1 design was intended to have an empty weight under to fit into the
FAR Part 103
Ultralight aircraft in the United States are much smaller and lighter than ultralight aircraft as defined by all other countries.
In the United States, ultralights are described as "ultralight vehicles" and not as aircraft. They are not req ...
ultralight category. There is also an X2 two seater which was designed as an ultralight trainer. Modernized models of the single and two-seaters use
strut
A strut is a structural component commonly found in engineering, aeronautics, architecture and anatomy. Struts generally work by resisting longitudinal compression, but they may also serve in tension.
Human anatomy
Part of the functionality o ...
s in place of the original cable-bracing.
Design and development
The Phantom X1 was introduced at
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 Inte ...
in 1982, where it attracted a great deal of attention and won a major design award. The design was produced by a number of different manufacturers, including
Phantom Aircraft
Phantom may refer to:
* Spirit (animating force), the vital principle or animating force within all living things
** Ghost, the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living
Aircraft
* Boeing Phantom Ray, a stealthy unm ...
of
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropol ...
and has been widely copied. Derivative designs include the
Bell Sidewinder
The Bell Sidewinder is an American ultralight aircraft, supplied as a kit for amateur construction.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page E-33 and 37. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001.
Design and development
...
,
Hy-Tek Hurricane 103,
Worldwide Ultralite Spitfire
The Worldwide Ultralite Spitfire is an American ultralight aircraft that was designed by Fred Bell and manufactured by Worldwide Ultralite Industries and later by Don Ecker and Air Magic Ultralights of Houston, Texas. The aircraft was supplie ...
and the
Golden Gate Mosquito
The Golden Gate Mosquito is an American ultralight aircraft that was produced by Golden Gate Aviation. The aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page E-27. ...
.
The Phantom X1 is constructed from bolted-together
aluminum
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It h ...
tubing. The wings and tail surfaces are 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 food ...
sailcloth in the form of pre-sewn envelopes. The wings are wire-braced from an inverted "V" shaped
kingpost
A king post (or king-post or kingpost) is a central vertical post used in architectural or bridge designs, working in tension to support a beam below from a truss apex above (whereas a crown post, though visually similar, supports items above f ...
and feature full-span
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 arou ...
s. There was also a factory option offered to allow the wings to fold for transport and storage. The engine is mounted on the front of the main tube, the tail being mounted on the far end of the same tube. The cockpit pod is made from
fiberglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cl ...
. The landing gear includes a steerable nosewheel.
The X1 was originally designed as an
aerobatic
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aerial" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and glider ...
aircraft and was tested to +9/-6.6
g before failure and carries operational limits of +6.6/-4.4 g. The full-span ailerons also give the X1 a fast roll-rate. For liability reasons the X1 was never marketed as an aerobatic design.
Factory options included brakes and a complete airframe parachute along with a variety of
Rotax
Rotax is the brand name for a range of internal combustion engines developed and manufactured by the Austrian company BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG (until 2016 BRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co. KG), in turn owned by the Canadian Bombardier Recreational Produ ...
engines from . Original assembly time was rated by the manufacturer as 40 hours.
Variants
;X1
:Single seat ultralight aircraft with aerobatic capabilities, first flown in 1982. Standard engine is the
Rotax 447
The Rotax 447 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995.
Design and development
...
, with the
Rotax 503
The Rotax 503 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995.
As of 2011 the R ...
or
Rotax 582
The Rotax 582 is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, rotary intake valve, oil-in-fuel or oil injection pump, liquid-cooled, gear reduction-drive aircraft engine manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It is for use in non-certified aircraft operati ...
as options. In the USA the aircraft could be completed as a
FAR Part 103
Ultralight aircraft in the United States are much smaller and lighter than ultralight aircraft as defined by all other countries.
In the United States, ultralights are described as "ultralight vehicles" and not as aircraft. They are not req ...
ultralight vehicle or as an
Experimental amateur-built aircraft
Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.Armstrong, Kenn ...
. Still in production as the ''Phantom Classic''.
;X1E
:Similar to the X1, but with an enclosed cockpit for all-weather flying. The cockpit features removable doors. Still in production as the ''Phantom Classic E''.
;X2
:Two seat side-by-side configuration ultralight trainer, first flown in 1995, with first deliveries in February 1998. Folding wings were a factory option. Standard engine is the
Rotax 503
The Rotax 503 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995.
As of 2011 the R ...
or
Rotax 582
The Rotax 582 is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, rotary intake valve, oil-in-fuel or oil injection pump, liquid-cooled, gear reduction-drive aircraft engine manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It is for use in non-certified aircraft operati ...
as an option.
;Phantom I
:Single seat ultralight aircraft with struts in place of cable-bracing. Standard engine is the
Rotax 503
The Rotax 503 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995.
As of 2011 the R ...
with the
Rotax 582
The Rotax 582 is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, rotary intake valve, oil-in-fuel or oil injection pump, liquid-cooled, gear reduction-drive aircraft engine manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It is for use in non-certified aircraft operati ...
as an option.
;Phantom I-E
:Single seat ultralight aircraft with struts in place of cable-bracing and enclosed cockpit with removable doors. Standard engine is the
Rotax 503
The Rotax 503 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995.
As of 2011 the R ...
with the
Rotax 582
The Rotax 582 is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, rotary intake valve, oil-in-fuel or oil injection pump, liquid-cooled, gear reduction-drive aircraft engine manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It is for use in non-certified aircraft operati ...
as an option.
;Phantom II
:Two seat
side-by-side configuration
Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which a team of machines, animals or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction.
The original use of the term in English was in ''tandem harness'', which is used for two ...
ultralight trainer with struts in place of cable-bracing. Engines include the
Rotax 582
The Rotax 582 is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, rotary intake valve, oil-in-fuel or oil injection pump, liquid-cooled, gear reduction-drive aircraft engine manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It is for use in non-certified aircraft operati ...
,
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 ...
or the
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, l ...
.
Specifications (X1)
See also
References
External links
*{{Official website, http://www.phantomaero.com/
1980s United States ultralight aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Parasol-wing aircraft