Sanstroem Friendship 3

Friendship F3
A first production Friendship F3
Role Ultralight aircraft
National origin France
Manufacturer Friendship Legend (R,S & Associes SAS Erik Sanstroem)[1]
First flight July 2012
Introduction 2012
Status Production completed
Number built one

The Friendship 3 is a French ultralight aircraft with tandem seats, engineered in France and Switzerland, and assembled in Czech Republic by Ivanov Aircraft for the manufacturer, R,S & Associes SAS Erik Sanstroem of Versailles, Yvelines. Inspired by 1950s and 1960s light aircraft and motorgliders, the Friendship 3 is a two-place tandem-seat ultralight aircraft with dual controls, so that the rear seated passenger can also fly.[1]

The company seems to have been founded 2012 and gone out of business in 2014.[2]

Design and development

The Friendship 3 was designed for both soaring and cross-country powered flying, with a glide ratio of 24:1. The Friendship F3A has a composite fuselage; and wood and fabric for the wings with the main spars in carbon fiber. The aircraft was registered in France in late 2012.[1][3]

Variants

Friendship 3
F3A: Available with 80 hp Rotax 912 engine.
F3B: Available with 100 hp Rotax 912 engine.

Specifications (Friendship F3A)

Data from Tacke[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Capacity: one passenger
  • Wingspan: 11.47 m (37 ft 8 in)
  • Wing area: 11.89 m2 (128.0 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 292 kg (644 lb)
  • Gross weight: 472.5 kg (1,042 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 70 litres (15 imp gal; 18 US gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 912UL four cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke aircraft engine, 60 kW (80 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed composite

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 235 km/h (146 mph, 127 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 200 km/h (120 mph, 110 kn)
  • Stall speed: 60 km/h (37 mph, 32 kn)
  • Maximum glide ratio: 24:1
  • Wing loading: 39.7 kg/m2 (8.1 lb/sq ft)

References

  1. ^ a b c d Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 75. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN 1368-485X
  2. ^ "Internet Archive Wayback Machine". archive.org. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  3. ^ Tisserant, Philippe (December 2012). "Friendship 3 Retour du RF3 en ULM biplace". Vol Moteur (322): 22–27. ISSN 0299-8203. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
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