AMS Carat

__NOTOC__infobox Aircraft
name = Carat
type = high performance motorglider

manufacturer = AMS Flight

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caption = A Carat at the municipal airport in Hollister, California
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The Carat A is a single-seat, high performance motorglider. The sailplane is designed and manufactured by AMS Flight in Slovenia.

General description

The Carat is a racing motorglider. It has a unique propeller: the blades fold forward like spears to minimize drag when the engine is off. This is in contrast to other motorgliders which either store the propeller inside the fuselage, or merely feather the propeller blades. The Carat's propeller is opened strictly by centrifugal force from the running engine, and folds back automatically by a spring mechanism when the engine is stopped. This mechanism has the advantage of simplicity, but it means that the engine can not be windmill-started if the battery is flat.

The plane uses the wing from the Schempp-Hirth Discus, one of the most successful sailplane wing designs.

The 4-cylinder, 4-stroke engine generates 60 horsepower for launch and powered flight. It is manufactured by VW, but modified by Sauer for aviation use. The airplane cannot be towed aloft like traditional sailplanes.

It is a tail dragger. The Carat has electrically-operated retractable landing gear and a steerable tailwheel. Braking is performed using a hydraulic hand-brake mounted on the control stick.

This wing has turbulators on the underside to achieve a controlled transition from laminar to turbulent flow.

Major features

*Fast cruising speed and long range
*Conventional T-tail with fixed stabilizer and moving elevator
*Retractable landing gear
*Automatic control connections
*Schempp-Hirth air brakes on upper wing surface
*Can be rigged and de-rigged by one person

pecifications

aerospecs
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crew=1
capacity=
length m=6.21
length ft=20
length in=5
span m=15
span ft=49
span in=2
height m=
height ft=
height in=
wing area sqm=10.58
wing area sqft=114
aspect ratio=21.3
empty weight kg=325
empty weight lb=717
gross weight kg=470
gross weight lb=1037

eng1 number=1
eng1 type=converted Volkswagen automotive engine
eng1 kw= 45
eng1 hp=60
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
eng2 hp=

max speed kmh=250
max speed mph=135
cruise speed kmh=165
cruise speed mph=89
range km=900
range miles=486
endurance h=
endurance min=
ceiling m=
ceiling ft=
glide ratio=35
climb rate ms=3.5
climb rate ftmin=700
sink rate ms=0.75
sink rate ftmin=150 aircontent
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References

* [http://www.ams-flight.si/ AMS-Flight]
* [http://www.sauer-flugmotorenbau.de/html/sauer_aircraft_engines.html Sauer Flugmotorenbau]