High-Wing LSA Was Introduced Last Year At OSH
TL-Ultralight s.r.o. recently completed the first series of test
flights of the high-wing TL-3000 Sirius in the Czech Republic.
The Sirius -- like the company's low-wing TL-2000 StingSport --
is a two passenger, carbon fiber fixed-wing airplane powered by the
100 hp Rotax 912ULS engine. It will be manufactured in versions for
distribution in Europe and in the United States as a special light
sport aircraft (SLSA). SportairUSA, LC, will distribute the
airplane in North America.
Piloted by company president Jiri Tlusty, the first Sirius
demonstrated lively acceleration and responsive slow flight
characteristics in its initial flights.
"The airplane lifts off and very quickly achieves a rapid rate
of climb." Tlusty said. "Our design and development team has
produced a highwing sport airplane that will be a worthy complement
to the Sting."
The project began in 2006 and was introduced in 2007 as a
proof-of-concept model at air shows in
Friedrichshafen, Germany, and at AirVenture in the USA. A
production prototype is targeted for
completion in July and tooling is underway for the first European
production runs later this year.
The S-LSA version will be ready for the US market in the first
half of 2009. Bill Canino, the President of SportairUSA, which also
distributes the Sting S3, was in the Czech Republic for the initial
flights.
"With the Sirius, TL-Ultralight once again demonstrates its deep
experience and mastery of the design and construction benefits of
carbon composite airframes," Canino said.
The Sirius is designed for a maximum gross weight of 1,320
pounds in its S-LSA version (1,430 pounds on floats), with a useful
load of 600 pounds, and extended range with 30+ gallons of fuel.
The cabin is 46 inches wide at the shoulders.
Standard equipment on the tricycle-geared airplane includes
steerable nose gear, toe-actuated disc brakes, adjustable rudder
pedals and a whole-plane GRS ballistic recovery parachute. Other
features include easy entry/exit and generous cabin size with
plenty of legroom.
The Sirius will be equipped for night flight and will comply
with ASTM standards for IFR flight when those standards are issued.
The instrument panel accommodates either a traditional six-pack
arrangement of flight instruments or any of a variety of primary
and multipurpose flight displays – from Dynon, Grand Rapids
Technologies and TruTrak – along with a full complement of
avionics.