Pipistrel Taurus
The Pipistrel Taurus is a two-seater, self launching ultralight sailplane of Slovenian company Pipistrel.
Versions
The Taurus was developed in the following versions:
- Taurus 503 with Rotax 503 engine Taurus LSA version with U.S. LSA approval
- Taurus Electro G2, revised standard version
History
With the development of the sinus in the late 1990s, Pipistrel had set the goal to construct an ultralight motor glider, which was deliberately appeal to the classic glider. With a glide ratio of 27 of these classic motor boats such as the SF 25 Although clearly superior, but can not keep up with the performance of modern gliders.
Was then started in 2001 with the development of the Taurus. This should be much more similar to a traditional glider with an auxiliary engine and achieve a glide ratio of at least 40 in order to be used as a full glider can. On 15 May 2004, the first flight of the base model Taurus 503, which went into series production in 2006 followed. In the same year, the first flight of the pure glider version Taurus Pure Glider took place.
Also in 2006, began the development of the Taurus ELECTRO, a version with an electric motor, which launched its maiden flight on 21 December 2007. As part of the Slovenian Industrial Design Biennial Biennial industrijskega oblikovanja 2010 (the " BIO 22") was the Taurus ELECTRO excellent " for its superior beauty and advanced technology " with a gold medal.
Since 2010 exists with the Taurus LSA tailored to the U.S. licensing requirements for LSA version of the Taurus 503 which, among other things, the maximum take-off weight was raised to 550 kg.
In early 2011 began series production of the Taurus Electro G2. The suffix " G2 " stands for "2nd Generation " and to emphasize improvements over the prototype. Under the motto Flying for free ( " Free Flying" ) Pipistrel wants to offer a trailer that can charge the batteries of the Taurus within five hours by solar panels on the roof.
2011, the twin-hull experimental aircraft Taurus G4 was constructed on the basis of two G2 - hulls.
Construction
The Taurus is designed in plastic construction. The placement of the two pilot seats next to each other as in the Stemme S10 is quite unusual for a glider. By this construction, only one set of tools is in contrast to conventional doubles with seats arranged one behind the other required which is placed between the legs of the two pilots. Also unusual is the retractable main landing gear, which will provide enhanced by the two adjacent wheels in comparison with other self-launching gliders roll characteristics.
The wings with a span of 14.97 m correspond to those of the sinus. The ailerons extend over almost the entire width of the surfaces and are designed as a five-stage flaperons, that serve as flaps.
The standard version of the Taurus 503 is equipped with a Rotax 503 UL DCDI 2V with two carburettors and a power of 37 kW. The version Taurus ELECTRO houses an electric motor with 30 kW, the G2 version was equipped with a 40 kW electric motor. In order for the Taurus reaches even slightly better climb performance (within 3.1 m / s) than the Rotax version ( max. 2.9 m / s ), a battery charge allows climbs up to 2000 meters.