Airborne Redback

The Airborne Redback is an Australian two-seat flying wing ultralight trike designed and produced by Airborne Windsports.^[1]

Redback
Role	Ultralight trike
National origin	Australia
Manufacturer	Airborne Windsports
Status	In production

The aircraft is named after the native Australian Redback spider.^[1]

Design and development

The aircraft was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category, including the category's maximum gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb). The aircraft has a maximum gross weight of 401 kg (884 lb). It features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a two-seats-in-tandem open cockpit, tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.^[1]

The aircraft's Wizard model wing is made from bolted-together aluminium tubing, with its single surface covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 9.96 m (32.7 ft) span wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame control bar. The standard powerplant is the 37 kW (50 hp) Rotax 503 twin cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke aircraft engine.^[1]

When introduced the Redback was a single configuration model, with no cockpit fairing and no options available. In 2012 the model has evolved and offers tundra tires, intake and exhaust silencer, training bars and an aero-tow system as optional equipment.^[1][2]

Reviewers Noel Bertrand et al., writing about the no-options approach in 2003 said, "The Red Back only exists in one configuration with no options — an intelligent course of action taken by this Australian manufacturer made possible by the very complete specification...All the right ingredients are there; Australian and American pilots adore them."^[1]

Variants

Redback Wizard

Initial model circa 2003 with 37 kW (50 hp) Rotax 503, the Wizard wing and no options available.^[1]

X-Series Redback

Later version circa 2012 with 37 kW (50 hp) Rotax 503, the Wizard-3 wing and limited options.^[2][3]

Specifications (Redback Wizard)

Data from Bertrand^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Capacity: one passenger
• Wingspan: 9.96 m (32 ft 8 in)
• Wing area: 17.6 m² (189 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 165 kg (364 lb)
• Gross weight: 401 kg (884 lb)
• Fuel capacity: 44 litres (9.7 imp gal; 12 US gal)
• Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 503 twin cylinder, two-stroke, air-cooled aircraft engine, 37 kW (50 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 93 km/h (58 mph, 50 kn)
• Cruise speed: 67 km/h (42 mph, 36 kn)
• Stall speed: 45 km/h (28 mph, 24 kn)
• Rate of climb: 2.9 m/s (570 ft/min)