TL Ultralight TL-3000 Sirius

The TL Ultralight TL-3000 Sirius is a conventional single engine high wing ultralight and Light-sport aircraft seating two side-by-side. It was designed and is produced in the Czech Republic.

TL-3000 Sirius
Role Two seat ultralight and Light-sport aircraft
National origin Czech Republic
Manufacturer TL Ultralight, Hradec Králové
First flight 21 May 2008
Primary user private pilot owners
Number built 100 by 2015

Design and development

The Sirius programme was announced early in 2007 and an unflown prototype or mock-up appeared at Aero '07 that year. Development continued into 2010 before it was ready for production.[1]

The TL-3000 is a mostly composite aircraft with a carbon fibre wing and glass- and carbon-fibre fuselage. It shares many components with its TL-2000 Sting low wing stablemate. The high wing has a constant chord centre section and tapered outer panels with downturned tips and is braced to the lower fuselage with a pair of forward-leaning lift struts. The fin is swept, with a wide dorsal fillet, and carries a horn-balanced rudder. The tapered, mass-balanced elevators are set at mid-fuselage.[1][2]

The underwing cabin of the Sirius has a single piece windscreen, glazed side doors, rear side windows and an upper rear transparency. A choice of flat four engines offers either the 59.6 kW (80 hp) Rotax 912UL or the 73.5 kW (98.6 hp) Rotax 912 ULS. The Sirius is fitted with a fixed tricycle undercarriage with mainwheels fuselage mounted on composite cantilever spring legs. The nosewheel is steerable and the mainwheels have brakes; all wheels are almost completely enclosed in spats. The company has also developed a float installation for the TL-3000 to allow water operations.[1][2]

The Sirus first flew on 21 May 2008 but the prototype was lost in a fatal accident in July.[1]

The design has been accepted by the US Federal Aviation Administration as an approved special light-sport aircraft.[3]

Operational history

The Sirius was designed to fit into both the European ultralight and U.S. LSA categories. Twenty-two aircraft had been sold by September 2010 to customers in Angola, Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and the United States.[4] Only four appeared on the European (Russia excluded) civil aircraft registers in mid-2010, three in the Czech Republic and one in Norway.[5]

Specifications

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2010/11[1]

General characteristics

  • Capacity: 2
  • Length: 6.75 m (22 ft 2 in) excluding spinner
  • Wingspan: 9.40 m (30 ft 10 in)
  • Height: 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
  • Wing area: 11.15 m2 (120.0 sq ft) gross
  • Empty weight: 297 kg (655 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 472.5 kg (1,042 lb) ultralight; LSA 598 kg (1,320 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 130 L (34.3 US gal; 28.6 Imp gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 912ULS flat four, 59.6 kW (79.9 hp)
  • Propellers: 3-bladed Woodcomp

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 225 km/h (140 mph, 121 kn)
  • Stall speed: 65 km/h (40 mph, 35 kn) flaps down
  • Never exceed speed: 250 km/h (160 mph, 130 kn)
  • Range: 1,400 km (870 mi, 760 nmi)
  • Rate of climb: 6.0 m/s (1,180 ft/min) maximum, at sea level

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to TL Ultralight TL-3000 Sirius.
  1. Jackson, Paul (2010). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2010-11. Coulsdon, Surrey: IHS Jane's. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-7106-2916-6.
  2. Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 82. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  3. Federal Aviation Administration (26 September 2016). "SLSA Make/Model Directory". Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  4. Jackson, Paul (2011). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2011-12. Coulsdon, Surrey: IHS Jane's. pp. 174–5. ISBN 978-0-7106-2955-5.
  5. Partington, Dave (2010). European registers handbook 2010. Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 978-0-85130-425-0.
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