The Pop's Props Zing is a single seat, open-cockpit,
parasol 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 ...
, single-engine
monoplane
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 ...
, first flown in 1996. The aircraft was designed by Scott Land and produced by
Pop's Props
Pop's Props was an American aircraft manufacturer, founded by Scott Land in about 1994 and based in Cooksville, Illinois. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of ultralight aircraft in the form of plans and kits for amateur ...
of
Cooksville, Illinois in the form of plans and an
aircraft kit
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 ...
. The company is no longer in business and the aircraft kit is now available from
Simplex Aeroplanes
In geometry, a simplex (plural: simplexes or simplices) is a generalization of the notion of a triangle or tetrahedron to arbitrary dimensions. The simplex is so-named because it represents the simplest possible polytope in any given dimensi ...
of
Old Saybrook, Connecticut
Old Saybrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,481 at the 2020 census. It contains the incorporated borough of Fenwick, as well as the census-designated places of Old Saybrook Center and Saybrook ...
.
[Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page B-65. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ][Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 222. BAI Communications. ][Downey, Julia: ''1999 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 62. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851]
The aircraft was designed for the
FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles category, including the category's empty weight limit. The standard empty weight of the Zing is .
Design and development
The Zing was designed as a higher performance version of the
Cloudster, with a smaller wing with a span less than the Cloudster, yielding higher cruise speeds at the price of a higher
stall speed
In fluid dynamics, a stall is a reduction in the lift coefficient generated by a foil as angle of attack increases.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', p. 486. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. This occurs when t ...
.
The Zing is constructed of wood and covered in
aircraft fabric
Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures. The de Havilland Mosquito is an example of this technique, as are ...
. The landing gear is
conventional with sprung aluminum main gear and a steerable tailwheel. The double surfaced wing is
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 ...
-braced with two parallel main struts and
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 strut, which act in ...
s per side. The wing features 60% 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 and the whole wing can be removed for transport or storage. Available engines include the
Kawasaki 340-LC
The Kawasaki 340 is a Japanese twin-cylinder, in-line, two-stroke engine that was designed for snowmobiles and produced by Kawasaki Heavy Industries until the early 1980s. The engine was available in air-cooled and liquid-cooled versions.
The ...
liquid-cooled engine of , the
Half VW of as well as several
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. The designer recommended power range is .
Due to the laborious wood and fabric construction, builder completion time is estimated at 300-500 man-hours from plans or 200 man-hours from the kit. The kit is available as a single kit or as several sub-kits.
Specifications (Zing)
See also
References
External links
*
Photo of the Zing{{Pops Props
1990s United States ultralight aircraft
Homebuilt aircraft
Zing