US Aviation Cumulus
| Cumulus | |
|---|---|
| Role | Motor glider |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | US Aviation |
| Designer | Dave Ekstrom |
| First flight | 1995 |
| Introduction | 1995 |
| Status | Production completed |
| Number built | 5 (Dec 2011) |
| Unit cost |
US$7,995 (without engine or instruments, 2011)
|
| Developed from | US Aviation Cloud Dancer |
The US Aviation Cumulus is an American low-wing, single-seat, open cockpit motor glider that was designed by Dave Ekstrom and produced by US Aviation, supplied in kit form for amateur construction.
The Cumulus was conceived as a lightweight motorglider for soaring and also for touring. It is a development of the earlier US Aviation Cloud Dancer design. The aircraft production was outsourced, initially produced by AeroDreams it was later produced by Dave Ekstrom for US Aviation after 2004. The Cumulus first flew in 1995 and was named after the cumulus cloud.
Built from steel tubing, composites and fabric, the Cumulus is powered by a standard Rotax 447 40 hp (30 kW) engine in pusher configuration, although engines from 20 to 55 hp (15 to 41 kW) can be fitted. The wings are detachable for transport or storage. It has a glide ratio of 20:1. The landing gear is conventional and the cruciform tail is strut-braced.
Construction time from the kit is estimated at 200 hours.
Data from Purdy and KitPlanes
General characteristics
Performance
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Wikipedia