| Arion Lightning | |
|---|---|
| |
| Arion Lightning | |
| Role | Homebuilt aircraft |
| National origin | United States of America |
| Manufacturer | Arion Aircraft |
| Designer | Pete Krotje, Ben Krotje and Nick Otterback |
| First flight | 3 March 2006 |
| Introduction | April 2006 |
| Number built | 150 (2012) |
The Arion Lightning is a light-sport aircraft available as a kit aircraft or as a production Special LSA.[1]
The Lightning was developed by designers Pete Krotje, Ben Krotje and Nick Otterback.[2]
Originally designed as a high speed, low wing composite aircraft for the Jabiru series of engines, the LS-1 was redesigned to meet American light-sport requirements by extending the wings to lower the stall speed and using a fixed pitch propeller.[citation needed]
The aircraft is made from composites. In the homebuilt kit version its 30.5 ft (9.3 m) span wing has an area of 91 sq ft (8.5 m2) and mounts flaps. The aircraft's recommended engine power is 120 hp (89 kW) and the standard engine used is the 120 hp (89 kW) Jabiru 3300 four-stroke powerplant. Construction time from the supplied kit is 600 hours.[3]
In 2007 Earl Ferguson set a record for the quickest time for a flight from Savannah to San Diego in a piston engine land plane weighing between 1,102 and 2,205 pounds using this aircraft.[4]
Data from Arion Aircraft[7]
General characteristics
Performance
