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Saberwing
Role	Amateur-built aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Azalea Aviation
Introduction	2015
Status	In production (2020)
Number built	four (2020)

The Azalea Saberwing, named for the species of hummingbird, is an American amateur-built aircraft, designed and produced by Azalea Aviation of Adel, Georgia, introduced at Sun 'n Fun in 2015. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.^[1]

Design and development

The Saberwing features a cantilever low-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, fixed conventional landing gear or optionally tricycle landing gear, with wheel pants and a single engine in tractor configuration.^[1]

The aircraft is made from a composite-foam sandwich with the wing spars and wing ribs made from a wood-composite sandwich. The design has been optimized for a low parts-count to simplify construction. Its 26 ft (7.9 m) span wing, has an area of 92 sq ft (8.5 m²) and mounts flaps. The cabin is 43 in (109 cm) in width. The standard engine used is the in-house developed 100 hp (75 kW) Spyder Corvair automotive conversion four-stroke powerplant.^[1]^[2]

The manufacturer estimates that building the aircraft from the supplied kit requires 500-1,000 hours of labor at a total completion cost of US$40,000-50,000.^[1]^[3]^[4]

Operational history

Reviewers Roy Beisswenger and Marino Boric described the design in a 2015 review as "sleek" and "elegant".^[1]

By September 2020, four examples had been registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration.^[5]

Specifications (Saberwing)

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

General characteristics

Crew: one
Capacity: one passenger
Length: 20 ft (6.1 m)
Wingspan: 26 ft (7.9 m)
Wing area: 92 sq ft (8.5 m²)
Empty weight: 750 lb (340 kg)
Gross weight: 1,500 lb (680 kg)
Fuel capacity: 40 U.S. gallons (150 L; 33 imp gal)
Powerplant: 1 × Spyder Corvair automotive conversion six cylinder, air-cooled, four stroke automotive engine, 100 hp (75 kW)
Propellers: 2-bladed fixed pitch

Performance

Cruise speed: 150 mph (240 km/h, 130 kn)
Stall speed: 45 mph (72 km/h, 39 kn) flaps down
Never exceed speed: 200 mph (320 km/h, 170 kn)
Wing loading: 16.3 lb/sq ft (80 kg/m²)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 101. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN 1368-485X
^ ^a ^b Azalea Aviation (2013). "The Saberwing - By the Numbers". azaleaaviation.com. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
^ Azalea Aviation (2013). "The Saberwing". azaleaaviation.com. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
^ Azalea Aviation (2013). "The Saberwing - Pricing". azaleaaviation.com. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
^ Federal Aviation Administration (9 September 2020). "Make / Model Inquiry Results". Retrieved 9 September 2020.