High-Wing LSA Was Introduced Last Year At OSH

TL-Ultralight s.r.o. recently completed the first series of test flights of the high-wing TL-3000 Sirius in the Czech Republic.

The Sirius -- like the company's low-wing TL-2000 StingSport -- is a two passenger, carbon fiber fixed-wing airplane powered by the 100 hp Rotax 912ULS engine. It will be manufactured in versions for distribution in Europe and in the United States as a special light sport aircraft (SLSA). SportairUSA, LC, will distribute the airplane in North America.

Piloted by company president Jiri Tlusty, the first Sirius demonstrated lively acceleration and responsive slow flight characteristics in its initial flights.

"The airplane lifts off and very quickly achieves a rapid rate of climb." Tlusty said. "Our design and development team has produced a highwing sport airplane that will be a worthy complement to the Sting."

The project began in 2006 and was introduced in 2007 as a proof-of-concept model at air shows in
Friedrichshafen, Germany, and at AirVenture in the USA. A production prototype is targeted for
completion in July and tooling is underway for the first European production runs later this year.

The S-LSA version will be ready for the US market in the first half of 2009. Bill Canino, the President of SportairUSA, which also distributes the Sting S3, was in the Czech Republic for the initial flights.

"With the Sirius, TL-Ultralight once again demonstrates its deep experience and mastery of the design and construction benefits of carbon composite airframes," Canino said.

The Sirius is designed for a maximum gross weight of 1,320 pounds in its S-LSA version (1,430 pounds on floats), with a useful load of 600 pounds, and extended range with 30+ gallons of fuel. The cabin is 46 inches wide at the shoulders.

Standard equipment on the tricycle-geared airplane includes steerable nose gear, toe-actuated disc brakes, adjustable rudder pedals and a whole-plane GRS ballistic recovery parachute. Other features include easy entry/exit and generous cabin size with plenty of legroom.

The Sirius will be equipped for night flight and will comply with ASTM standards for IFR flight when those standards are issued. The instrument panel accommodates either a traditional six-pack arrangement of flight instruments or any of a variety of primary and multipurpose flight displays – from Dynon, Grand Rapids Technologies and TruTrak – along with a full complement of avionics.

FMI: www.sting.aero, www.sportair.aero