Stits SA-5 Flut-R-Bug

The Stits SA-5 Flut-R-Bug is a homebuilt aircraft designed by Ray Stits.

SA-5 Flut-R-Bug
SA-6B Flut-R-Bug at Luxembourg Airport in 1965
Role	Homebuilt aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Stits Aircraft Company
Designer	Ray Stits
First flight	1956
Number built	27 full kits sold, 1200 set of plans sold[1]

Design and development

The Flut-R-Bug can be built as a single place or tandem seat aircraft. It was an early complete-kit aircraft, sold with a pre-welded fuselage. Stits planned to deliver 100 kits to the German market for homebuilding.^[2] Examples have been completed in the United States and in Europe.

The SA-5 is a mid-wing, tricycle landing gear design with folding wings. The aircraft was intended to be towed by a vehicle by the (lowered) tail on its main gear with wings folded along its sides. The cockpit can be open, or covered with a bubble canopy. The fuselage is constructed from welded steel tubing with aircraft fabric covering. The wings use spruce wooden spars with fabric covering.^[3]

Variants

SA-5A

Single place variant

SA-6A

Two seat tandem variant with a 1,015 lb (460 kg) gross weight^[4]

SA-6B

Two seat variant with wider span wings and larger tail surface^[5]

Specifications (Stits SA-5 Flut-R-Bug)

Data from Sport Aviation

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 1 passenger
• Length: 17 ft (5.2 m)
• Wingspan: 23 ft (7.0 m)
• Wing area: 103.5 sq ft (9.62 m²)
• Airfoil: NACA 4412
• Empty weight: 528 lb (239 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 9 U.S. gallons (34 L; 7.5 imp gal)
• Powerplant: 1 × Continental A65 horizontally opposed piston, 65 hp (48 kW)
• Propellers: 2-bladed Sensenich, 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) diameter

Performance

• Maximum speed: 87 kn (100 mph, 160 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 70 kn (80 mph, 130 km/h)
• Stall speed: 35 kn (40 mph, 64 km/h)
• Range: 170 nmi (200 mi, 320 km)
• Service ceiling: 12,000 ft (3,700 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)
• Wing loading: 6.4 lb/sq ft (31 kg/m²)