|
Eric Giles of Skykits was at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo with his Savannah
and a brand new entry into the lightsport aircraft category the Rampage.
Both planes had been flown down from Alberta Canada for the show, a
distance of over 2500 miles. Both
aircraft feature all laser cut, metal construction, side by side seating and
tri-cycle landing gear. The Savannah is known for it's short take off
and landing capabilities but has a cruise speed of only 85 to 95 mph.
According to Eric the Rampage has been designed to give the best of
both worlds, with a 125 mph cruising speed, yet still capable of getting
in and out of short grass strips with a 35 mph stall speed.
This is accomplished by using the Savannah ADV
tapered wing incorporating electrically operated slats and electrically
operated double-slotted flaps with separate ailerons, which are extended
for landing and retracted at cruise. The Rampage is
manufactured in Italy but by late fall of 2008 it is expected that the
planes final assembly will be done at a facility under construction in
Tennessee. The Rampage is powered by the Rotax 100 HP 912 ULS aircraft
engine. This gives it a climb rate at gross of over 1,000 feet per
minute, a cruise of 125 mph and stall of 35 mph. At cruise coming down
from Canada the Rampage has a fuel burn of just over 4 gallons per hour.
21 gallons of fuel is located in two wing tanks and a header tank
located behind the seats. The wing tanks feature sight gauges on the
root of the wings, and a safety light on the dash comes on when you are
low and fuel and flying on only the header tank. The 46 inch wide
cockpit will fit even the largest of pilots. The seats are adjustable
via cushions and the pedals can be adjusted forward and back. The
Rampage features a three point harness for pilot restraint. The storage
area behind the seat is 32 inches deep and 46 inches wide and 20 inches
high. Steering is via a steerable nosewheel. The Rampage also comes
equipped with individual hydraulic toe brakes. Flight controls feature
dual stick and rudder controls, with electric trim on the sticks. The
throttle system can be customized, the standard system features a center
mounted friction lock system, but a dual throttle system is also
available. The flaps and leading edge slats are controlled
electronically and are activated via a switch on the dash. The
instrument panel on Rampage stretches the full width of the cabin. The
craft of display had two glass panels one on either side of the cockpit
with radio and intercom system located between them. Skykits offers an
amphibious fiberglass float system for the Rampage, that is operated via
a small electrical air compressor. The Rampage at the U.S. Sport
Aviation Expo was the second unit of the assembly line. Currently the
Rampage is only available as a ready to fly aircraft under the
lightsport aircraft category, but will be available in kit form by the
end of 2008. |
