The Xplorer Xflyer is a South African
paramotor
Paramotor is the generic name for the harness and propulsive portion of a powered paragliding, powered paraglider ("PPG"). There are two basic types of paramotors: foot launch and wheel launch.
Foot launch models consist of a frame with harnes ...
that was designed by Keith Pickersgill and produced by
Xplorer UltraFlight
Xplorer UltraFlight is a South African aircraft manufacturer based in Cape Town and founded by Keith Pickersgill. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of paramotors in the form of ready-to-fly aircraft for the US FAR 103 Ultral ...
of
Cape Town
Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
for
powered paragliding
Powered paragliding, also known as paramotoring or PPG, is a form of ultralight aviation where the pilot wears a back-pack motor (a paramotor) which provides enough thrust to take off using a paraglider. It can be launched in still air, and on ...
. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied complete and ready-to-fly.
[Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 77. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster UK, 2003. ]
Design and development
The Xflyer was designed to comply with the US
FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles
Ultralight aircraft exist outside of the United States. In most countries, ultralights are a class of aircraft. A completely different legal concept is valid within the USA. The FAA makes explicitly clear that ultralight vehicles are not air ...
rules as well as European regulations. It features a
paraglider
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched Glider (aircraft), glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a :wikt:harness, harness or in ...
-style wing, single-place accommodation and a single
Solo 210
The Hirth F-36 is a single-cylinder, two-stroke, carburetted aircraft engine designed for use on ultralight aircraft
Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing ...
engine in
pusher configuration
In aeronautical and naval engineering, pusher configuration is the term used to describe a drivetrain of air- or watercraft with propulsion device(s) after the engine(s). This is in contrast to the more conventional tractor configuration, wh ...
with a 2.5:1 ratio
reduction drive
A reduction drive is a mechanical device to shift rotational speed. A planetary reduction drive is a small scale version using ball bearings in an epicyclic arrangement instead of toothed gears.
Reduction drives are used in engines of all kinds ...
and a diameter two-bladed wooden propeller. The cage assembly breaks down into four parts for ground transport and storage. The fuel tank capacity is . The aircraft is built from annealed
aluminium
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 ...
.
Take-off and landing is accomplished by foot. Inflight steering is accomplished via handles that actuate the canopy brakes, creating roll and yaw.
Specifications (Xflyer)
See also
*
Xplorer XS, another paramotor design from the same manufacturer
References
{{reflist
Xflyer
2000s South African ultralight aircraft
Single-engined pusher aircraft
Paramotors