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Trident
	Ramphos Trident
Role	Ultralight trike
National origin	Italy
Manufacturer	Ramphos
Introduction	1998
Status	In production (2013)

The Ramphos Trident is an Italian amphibious ultralight trike, designed and produced by Ramphos of Fontanafredda. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.^[1]

Design and development

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

The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its double surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth and its boat hull made from either fibreglass or carbon fibre and Kevlar. Its 10.5 m (34.4 ft) span Hazard wing has struts and uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar. The powerplant is a twin cylinder, liquid-cooled, two-stroke, dual-ignition 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 engine or a four-cylinder, air and liquid-cooled, four-stroke, dual-ignition 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL engine or a 78 hp (58 kW) converted Smart Car four stroke turbocharged engine. All engines are fitted with a clutch that stops the propeller from turning when the engine is at idle to permit water handling. The boat hull features a water rudder.^[1]

Starting in 2005 the frame and wing portion of the aircraft was taken from the Skyrider Sonic ultralight trike, built by Skyrider Flugschule.^[1]

Variants

Hydro: Initial flying boat model that lacks wheeled landing gear. Introduced in 1998 and in production in 2013.^[1]
Trident: Amphibious model with fibreglass boat hull, in production in 2013.^[1]
C: Amphibious model with carbon fibre/Kevlar boat hull and lexan windows in the bottom of the hull to allow visibility downwards. In production in 2013.^[1]

Specifications (Trident)

Data from Bayerl^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: one
Capacity: one passenger
Wingspan: 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 15 m² (160 sq ft)
Empty weight: 200 kg (441 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 912UL four cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke aircraft engine, 60 kW (80 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed composite

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 220. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X