Quad City Challenger

Infobox Aircraft
name= Quad City Challenger


caption=
type=ultralight aircraft
manufacturer=Quad City Aircraft Corporation
designer=
first flight= 1983
introduced=
produced=1983-present
number built=3302 (2007)
unit cost=USD$18,000 - $22,000 (2007)
variants with their own articles=

The Quad City Challenger is an ultralight aircraft designed and produced by the Quad City Aircraft Corporation of Quad Cities, Illinois and first introduced in 1983. [ [http://www.challenger.ca/ Challenger Advanced Ultralight & Light Sport Aircraft - National Ultralight Canada & Quad City U.S ] ]

Design

The Challenger ultralight is a high wing, fabric covered, tricycle gear monoplane with a frame structure built from aluminum tubes fastened with aircraft grade AN bolts and rivets installed. Unlike most small aircraft that have the engine in the front of the cockpit in a tractor or pull configuration, the Challenger features the engine mounted in the middle of the aircraft above and behind the cockpit.

The engine turns the propeller in a pusher configuration resulting in a high thrust line above the longitudinal centerline of the aircraft. The engine drives the propeller through a reduction drive that uses a cogged tooth rubber belt.Fact|date=March 2008

The Challenger is sold as a kit from the factory. This means that the majority of the construction, over 51%, is to be completed by the buyer.

The kit can be purchased in 4 major sub-kits: the Tail Assembly, Fuselage, Wings, and Engine. The factory kit is supplied with the most difficult mechanical work already completed. This includes the primary fuselage framework along with the controls and the basic wing structures assembled at the factory. The kit builder is required to finish the smaller structural components, cover the aluminum frames with fabric, seal and paint the fabric, and do the final assembly.Fact|date=March 2008

Variants

The Challenger is produced in a number of versions differing by number of seats and length of wings. A single seat version is produced as well as a two seat version with the seats in tandem configuration, one behind the other.Fact|date=March 2008

The kits have also been produced with two general wing length options, a long wing with a 31.5 foot wingspan, and clipped or short wing with a 26 foot wingspan. The clipped wing offers a faster roll rate and higher cruise and maximum speeds.Fact|date=March 2008

The long wing version enables lower stall speeds, shorter take-off distances, higher gross weights, and the option of being equipped with seaplane floats. More recently, an option was introduced for fiberglass Hoerner wingtips with an intermediate 29.5 foot wingspan. These Hoerner wingtips are more attractive and enable higher cruise speeds while retaining the ability to equip the aircraft with seaplane floats.Fact|date=March 2008

There are a number of other manufacturers producing copies of the Challenger featuring minor changes in construction but keeping the basic shape and layout.Fact|date=March 2008

Accessories

In recent years, a number of additional features and optional accessories have been offered by the Challenger factory and after market suppliers. These include wheel pants, doors, brakes, larger fuel tanks, cockpit heaters, skis and floats.Fact|date=March 2008

Capabilities

The aircraft has the ability to soar with its motor switched off.Fact|date=March 2008

Production

By the fall of 2007 3302 Challengers of all types had been completed and were flying.Kitplanes Staff: "2008 Kit Aircraft Directory", page 67, Kitplanes Magazine December 2007 Volume 24, Number 12, Belvior Publications, Aviation Publishing Group LLC.]

This included:
*Challenger UL 700
*Challenger Special 101
*Challenger II 2000
*Challenger II Special 500
*Challenger IICW LSS 1

pecifications

The standard two-seat version of the aircraft is the most popular. [ [http://www.challenger.ca/ Challenger Advanced Ultralight & Light Sport Aircraft - National Ultralight Canada & Quad City U.S ] ] Its specifications are:
*31.5 ft (9.69 m) wingspan
*500 lb (227 kg) payload
*700/1,200 fpm climb (215/369 m/min) (dual/solo)
*20 mph (32 km) cross-wind capability
*65-85 mph (104/136 km/h or 56/73 kts) cruise speed
*Can be used on floats

References

External links

* [http://www.quadcitychallenger.com/index.html Quad City Ultralight Aircraft Corp]
* [http://www.challenger.ca/ National Ultralight Inc (Canadian distributor)]