Spacek SD-1 Minisport

SD-1 Minisport
Role	Amateur-built aircraft
National origin	Czech Republic
Manufacturer	Spacek; SkyCraft Airplanes
Designer	Igor Špaček
Status	Plans and kits available (2016)
Number built	about 41 flying by November 2015

The Spacek SD-1 Minisport is a Czech amateur-built aircraft, designed by Igor Špaček and produced by Spacek of Hodonín. The aircraft was also produced for a short time in the United States by SkyCraft Airplanes of Orem, Utah as a light-sport aircraft, but they had gone out of businesses by 2017. The aircraft is supplied in the form of plans, as a kit for amateur construction, or as a ready-to-fly aircraft.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]

Design and development

The aircraft features a cantilever low-wing, a single-seat enclosed cockpit, fixed conventional landing gear or optionally tricycle landing gear, a T-tail and a single engine in tractor configuration. Due to its very light weight it can qualify for the German 120 kg category.^[2]^[3]^[7]^[8] It complies with the United Kingdom SSDR rules for single seat deregulated microlight aeroplanes.^[9]

The aircraft is made from wood, with judicious use of composites, including for the wing spar. Its 6 m (19.7 ft) span wing employs an A315 airfoil, has an area of 6 m² (65 sq ft) and utilizes flaperons. Engines of 24 to 50 hp (18 to 37 kW) can be used. Standard engines tested are the 28 hp (21 kW) Hirth F33, the 50 hp (37 kW) Hirth F23 two-strokes, the 24 hp (18 kW) or 33 hp (25 kW) Briggs & Stratton Vanguard (designated SE24), or the Verner JCV-360 powerplants. The Rotax 447, Hirth 2702, Zanzottera MZ 201, Simonini Victor 1 Super, 2si 460 and Half VW can also be used.^[2]^[10]^[11]

By November 2015 113 had been sold worldwide and about 41 were flying.^[1]

At the end of May 2014 SkyCraft Airplanes announced that light-sport flight testing on its version had been completed. Their model has a revised cockpit, including Dynon SkyView instrumentation, a hydraulic brake system and the 50 hp (37 kW) Hirth F-23 two-stroke fuel-injected engine.^[12]^[13] The company's intention was that 12 aircraft would be built for the first production run.^[14] However, as of 7 August 2017 the SD-1 was still not on the Federal Aviation Administration's list of accepted light-sport aircraft.^[15]

Variants

SD-1 TD: Conventional landing gear (taildragger) version^[10]
SD-1 TG: Tricycle gear version^[10]
SD-1 TD XL: Conventional landing gear (taildragger) version for taller pilots^[10]
SD-1 TG XL: Tricycle gear version for taller pilots^[10]
SD-2 SportMaster: 2-seat tricycle gear version^[16]

Accidents

In September 2013, during a test and evaluation flight of the sole example flying in the United States, the pilot lost control while flying aerobatics not approved for the aircraft type and the aircraft crashed. The ballistic parachute did not deploy properly, most likely due to be out of limits for deployment, and the pilot was killed.^[17]
In August 2018, near Nannhausen in Germany, an SD1 crashed after engine problems during climb-out after take-off. The pilot did not survive, the SD1 was written off.
In June 2021, a loss of control accident happened in Butler, Ohio/USA. The pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed following a partial loss of engine power during take-off, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. The pilot survived, the airplane suffered substantial damage.

Specifications (SD-1)

Data from Bayerl and Spacek sro^[2]^[10]^[18]^[19]

General characteristics

Crew: one
Length: 4.35 m (14 ft 3 in)
Wingspan: 6 m (19 ft 8 in)
Height: 1.23 m (4 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 6 m² (65 sq ft)
Airfoil: GA 37U-A315
Empty weight: 110 kg (243 lb)
Gross weight: 240 kg (529 lb)
Fuel capacity: 34 litres (7.5 imp gal; 9.0 US gal)
Powerplant: 1 × Hirth F33 single cylinder, air-cooled, two stroke aircraft engine, 21 kW (28 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed wooden, 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) diameter

Performance

Maximum speed: 185 km/h (115 mph, 100 kn)
Cruise speed: 135 km/h (84 mph, 73 kn)
Stall speed: 63 km/h (39 mph, 34 kn) flaperons deployed
Never exceed speed: 210 km/h (130 mph, 110 kn)
g limits: +4/-2
Maximum glide ratio: 13:1
Rate of climb: 3 m/s (590 ft/min)
Wing loading: 40 kg/m² (8.2 lb/sq ft)

References

^ ^a ^b Gunston, Bill (2016). Jane's All the World's Aircraft : development & production : 2016-17. IHS Global. p. 208. ISBN 978-0-7106-3177-0.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 120. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
^ ^a ^b Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 127. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN 1368-485X
^ "SkyCraft begins production on SD-1 Minisport – General Aviation News". Generalaviationnews.com. 27 May 2013. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
^ Johnson, Dan (17 June 2017). "SD 1 MiniSport, SD1 Mini Sport experimental aircraft from SD Planes USA AV16". Light Sport and Ultralight Flyer. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
^ Unwin, Dave (4 March 2019). "Flying SD Planes' SD-1 Highly Affordable Single Seat Aircraft". bydanjohnson.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
^ "The SD-1 Minisport Design Philosophy". 2012. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
^ Mike. ""Deutscher Meister im Fliegergewicht." – Das wirklich leichte Fliegen". ultraleicht120.de. Archived from the original on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
^ "United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Information Notice Number: IN–2014/091" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 May 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Spacek sro (2011). "The SD-1 Minisport Technical Data". Archived from the original on 17 June 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
^ Spacek s.r.o. (2020). "SE24 – 24hp". sdplanes.com. Archived from the original on 8 May 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
^ Durden, Rick (30 May 2014). "SD-1 Minisport Flight Testing Completed". AVweb. Archived from the original on 1 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
^ Grady, Mary (8 July 2014). "SkyCraft Ready To Fly, Expanding in Utah". AVweb. Archived from the original on 12 September 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
^ "Pilot Briefing". AOPA Pilot. September 2014.
^ Federal Aviation Administration (7 August 2017). "FAA Make/Model Directory for SLSA". Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
^ "SD-2 Description". sdplanes.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
^ "Updated: Only US SkyCraft MiniSport Down in Utah Test Flight | Aero-News Network". aero-news.net. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
^ "SD-1 Versions". sdplanes.com. Archived from the original on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
^ Spacek sro (2020). "Hirth F33 – 28hp". sdplanes.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.