@ Pipistrel cannot prevent people doing aerobatic
maneuvers in the
Virus
SW, but we do not approve it
–
the reason is in aerodynamics.
The Virus SW has so little drag that it picks up spee
d MUCH quicker than other aircraft.
This can be dangerous in aerobatic maneuvers (also spins, which are completely
recoverable) and an average pilot can very quickly overstress the airframe because of
high
airspeed. The aircraft can reach 350 km/h (190 kts
) in a dive in 3 seconds@
Why are airbrakes not part of standard equipment?
Based on two facts we have decided not to include airbrakes in the standard equipment of the Virus SW:
a) The aircraft has shorter wings and has more sink with full flaps at landing speeds.
b) There is a considerable number of pilots who primarily fly on long runways.
Our recommendation would be to install airbrakes on the aircraft if your customer intends to operate from runways shorter than 500 m (1700 ft) in lenght, or from runways which require a steep approach. The additional weight for airbrakes is 3 Kgs.
What is the landing distance over 15 m obstacle, with and without airbrake?
With the use of the airbrake 240 m (until full stop),
without airbrake 495 m.
Max a/c weight for parachute (472,5 kg or more)?
The serial version parachute is for 472.5 kg and cleared up to 310 km/h (168 kts). The same parachute at 550 kg is cleared up to 250 km/h.
All current certificates in EU are currently for 472.5 kg, this is why the first number is quoted.
Is the ultimate load factor 1,86x 4/-2 g i.e. 7.5/-3,75 g for 472,5 kg?
No, the ultimate load factor is actually much more at 472.5 kg. The operational envelope is rated at +4 G, -2 G at 600 kg, which is the design load of the aeroplane. This means that the structure must withstand at least as safety factor of 1.875 more at 600 kgs. This calculates to at least +7.5 G and – 3.75 G at 600 kg! However the Virus SW is much stronger than this as certain main structural components are able to withstand more than 10 G of load, which was proven during a higly elaborate structural testing. Considering the legal limitation of 472.5 kg the safety factory then become much much larger than what is the industry standard...
What is the weight of the airbrake system?
Complete system contributes 3.5 kg of weight.
