Acrolite 1B ultralight aircraft, Acrolite 1B experimental aircraft, Acrolite 1B experimental light sport aircraft (ELSA), Lightsport Aircraft Pilot News newsmagazine.

It was designed with strength, ability to take abuse, ease of repair, good short field performance and stable flight characteristics as the most important features.

The strut braced staggered wing biplane design affords good visibility and requires a pilot with only average flying ability but with some experience in high performance taildraggers. The design and basic construction is in accordance with standard aircraft practices and aircraft grade materials are used throughout. The aircraft is conservatively stressed for a limit load of 6 G positive and 4 G negative with a 1.5 safety factor at a gross weight of 750 lbs.

One of the nice things about small biplanes is that they can be built in a fairly small area. The largest piece is the fuselage which is approximately 12 feet long 2 feet wide and 4 feet high. Built on a 12' x 2' table with a minimum of 3 feet of walk around area it can be built in any 17 foot long room. A single car garage is more than adequate and the entire aircraft can be fully assembled in an average 2 car garage. The wing panels are built standing on edge in a 8 foot long jig.

For the best performance and reliability the preferred engine is the four cylinder Rotax 912. This is the engine used in the prototype. However the Rotax 582/618 twin cylinder two stroke with a "C" or "E" type gear reduction drive will give good aerobatic performance at a lower cost.

The fuselage is constructed of welded 4130 chrome moly steel tube. A welded steel fuselage is generally considered to be the most durable, is easy to repair and provides the best protection against impact damage. Control linkages to the ailerons and elevator are push-pull rods with bearings on each end. Rudder and steerable tailwheel control is via a common cable. The tail assembly is constructed of 6061 aluminum tube riveted together with 2024-T3 aluminum gusset plates.

The wing is of stressed skin wood construction with a built up box section main spar, built up ribs, plywood sheeting and fabric covered. The builder will also have the option of building the wing entirely of 2024-T3 aluminum with a box section main spar, a channel section rear spar, fully sheeted and flush riveted with 1/8 inch diameter stainless steel blind rivets. The airfoil is GA30-212 semi-symmetrical section designed by Harry Ribblett. This airfoil is noted for its low drag and excellent stall characteristics. The ailerons are semi-full span aluminum tube, static balanced. The fuselage, empennage and ailerons are fabric covered with 1.7 oz PolyFiber fabric.

The landing gear is one piece spring aluminum clamped and bolted directly to the bottom of the fuselage with four bolts. This type landing gear has low drag is easy to construct and handles hard landings and rough ground well. The wheels and tires are 500 X 5 aircraft type with cable operated drum brakes. Optionally hydraulic operated disk brakes can also be used. The tailwheel spring is formed from aluminum flat bar and the tailwheel swivel unit is welded from chrome moly sheet steel. The 5 inch diameter tail wheel is molded hi-impact plastic.

Acrolite 1B ultralight - experimental lightsport aircraft

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