ULBI Wild Thing

The ULBI Wild Thing is a German ultralight aircraft, designed by R. Kurtz and produced by Ultraleicht Bau International (ULBI), of Hassfurt. The aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.^[1][2][3]

Wild Thing
WT 01 Wild Thing
Role	Ultralight aircraft
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Air-Max GmbH ULBI
Designer	R. Kurtz
Introduction	1996
Status	Production completed (2014)
Number built	75 (1998)

WT 01 Wild Thing

WT 01 Wild Thing

Wild Thing WT-02 Jabiru 3300

In the 1990s the aircraft was marketed by Air-Max GmbH of Nuremberg, Germany.^[3]

The aircraft was introduced in 1996 and production ended when ULBI went out of business in 2014.^[1][2][4]

Design and development

The aircraft was designed specifically for touring in Africa. It was intended to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight rules. It features a strut-braced high wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit with doors for access, fixed tricycle landing gear or conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.^[1][2][3]

The aircraft is made from sheet aluminum. Its 9.15 m (30.0 ft) span wing has an area of 13.88 m² (149.4 sq ft) and flaps. Standard engines available are the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS, 85 hp (63 kW) Jabiru 2200 and the 120 hp (89 kW) Jabiru 3300 four-stroke powerplants.^[1][2] The 100 hp (75 kW) Hirth F-30, 75 to 80 hp (56 to 60 kW) Limbach L2000 and the 180 hp (134 kW) Lycoming O-360 have also been fitted.^[3]

Variants

WT 01

Conventional landing gear-equipped model^[1][2]

WT 02

Tricycle landing gear-equipped model^[1][2]

Specifications (WT 02)

Data from Bayerl and Tacke^[1][2]

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Capacity: one passenger
• Length: 6.49 m (21 ft 4 in)
• Wingspan: 9.15 m (30 ft 0 in)
• Wing area: 13.88 m² (149.4 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 290 kg (639 lb)
• Gross weight: 472.5 kg (1,042 lb)
• Fuel capacity: 80 litres (18 imp gal; 21 US gal) in two 40 litres (8.8 imp gal; 11 US gal) wing tanks
• Powerplant: 1 × Jabiru 3300 six cylinder, air-cooled, four stroke aircraft engine, 89 kW (120 hp)

Performance

• Cruise speed: 170 km/h (110 mph, 92 kn)
• Stall speed: 58 km/h (36 mph, 31 kn)
• Never exceed speed: 200 km/h (120 mph, 110 kn)
• Rate of climb: 6 m/s (1,200 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 34.0 kg/m² (7.0 lb/sq ft)

See also

Similar aircraft

• Murphy Rebel