Challenger
II
Performance |
Long
Wing |
Clip
Wing |
 |
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|
|
Figures
are for a typical Challenger II 503 Deluxe Package on wheels
with 170 lb occupants in standard sea level conditions.
Performance will vary with
density altitude, floats and load |
| Vne |
This never exceed speed is very
high for ultralight aircraft. |
100 mph |
120 mph |
| Top Level Speed |
With a top speed of 96 mph and a
stall of 24 mph, the long wing Challenger delivers an impressive
high end without sacrificing friendly, low speed approaches and
handling. A 4 to 1 speed range is unusually wide, few general
aviation aircraft can exceed 2.8 to 1. |
96 mph |
100 mph |
| Cruise Speed |
Low drag tandem seating, an engine
tucked out of the slipstream, and attention to streamlining
result in an unusually high cruise speed. Few if any designs can
deliver this speed with such an economical engine. |
85
mph
(5800 RPM)85
mph
(4000 RPM) |
90
mph
(5800 RPM)
40 mph
(4000 RPM) |
Stall Speed
flaperons extended
|
The Challenger's large wing area
and low weight result in a very low speed and exceptionally
gentle stall. This is key to short field performance and is an
important safety feature. It also contributes to the long wing
Challenger's unequalled soaring capability. |
24 / 28
mph
(solo / dual) |
32 / 37
mph
(solo / dual) |
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|
|
Rate of Climb
(solo/dual) |
The rate of climb is very strong
by any standard. This together with a climb speed in the low 40s
means the plane goes forward quite slowly while going up quite
quickly, resulting in a helicopter-like angle of climb! Getting
out of short fields (and lakes) is a snap. |
1,100 /
750 fpm
(solo / dual) |
1,000 /
650 fpm
(solo / dual) |
Service Ceiling
(solo/dual) |
Most people think of ultralights
as only flying low, near the ground. The Challenger goes high
too, up into oxygen country. The heated cabin takes the nip out
of the thin air found at these exalted altitudes. |
14,000' /
12,500'
(solo / dual) |
14,000' /
12,500'
(solo / dual) |
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| Glide Ratio |
The glide ratio of Challengers is
excellent by powered aircraft standards. From 5000 feet you can
glide 11 miles with the engine off! Key to the unique soaring
capability of the long wing are the low drag tandem seating and
low wing loading, which result in a low sink rate, plus the low
stall speed, which permits very small diameter turns in the
thermal's core. |
11 to 1 |
9 to 1 |
Minimum Sink
(solo/dual) |
Engine off, the long wing
Challenger drifts down at an unusually gentle rate, taking a
full quarter hour to reach the ground from 5000 feet. Apart from
aiding soaring, this low sink rate has obvious safety benefits. The
clip wing sinks faster than the long wing but is still very
gentle by General Aviation standards. |
350/450
fpm
(solo / dual) |
500/600
fpm
(solo / dual) |
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Takeoff
& Landing |
The large wing and light weight
together with the high power-to-weight ratio give great STOL
performance. |
75-200
feet |
125-250
feet |
Maximum
Crosswind |
The crosswind capability of the
Challenger actually equals or exceeds that of many General
Aviation aircraft. As an example, the Cessna 172 has a crosswind
capability of 17 mph. Puddlejumper amphibious floats have a
steerable nose wheel which allows Challengers so equipped to
retain their crosswind capabilities. |
20 mph |
30 mph |
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Fuel
Consumption |
Few two-seat aircraft are as miserly
on fuel. Challengers can use auto gas (87 octane), avgas (100LL)
or marina gas (87-89 octane), which may be intermixed. Most owners
prefer regular car gas to minimize costs. |
2.0 - 4.5
US gph |
2.0 - 4.5
US gph |
| Fuel Economy |
These figures assume no wind - Your
Mileage May Vary - depending on how heavy you are on the gas.
Remember also, that airplanes fly in straight lines, so this is a
lot more miles per gallon than you get in a car. |
21-25 mpg |
21-25 mpg |
Endurance
no reserve |
Endurance depends of course on how
fast you want to cruise - low and slow for sightseeing or
blistering along to get somewhere soon. Our Canadian Challenger's
standard fuel tank is 10 US gallons. An optional tank holding 17
US gallons provides greater endurance. |
2.2 - 5.0 hrs
(10 US Gal)
3.8 - 8.5
hrs
(17 US Gal) |
2.2 - 5.0
(10 US Gal)
3.3 - 7.5
hrs
(17 US Gal) |
Range
no wind
no reserve |
Range varies with the size of your
fuel tank, how fast you cruise, how much reserve you allocate for
contingencies, and of course the wind. Non-stop flights of over
300 miles have been made but it's actually more fun to make
intermediate pit stops and be greeted by groundlings as if you're
a movie star in a Ferrari! |
200 sm
(10 US Gal)
300
sm
(17 US Gal) |
200 sm
(10 US Gal)
300
sm
(17 US Gal) |
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Figures are for a typical Challenger II 503
Deluxe Package on wheels
with 170 lb occupants in standard sea level conditions.
Performance will vary with
density altitude, floats and load
For the Challenger II 582 Premium Package
takeoffs are 1/3 to 1/2 shorter, climb is 50 to 100% faster, and,
although you can climb faster, fuel consumption at any given speed
is about 20% lower. |
