First flight 1984 | Manufacturer Shirl Dickey Enterprises | |
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The Dickey E-Racer, also called the Sierra Delta E-Racer, is an American homebuilt aircraft that was designed by Shirl Dickey and produced by Shirl Dickey Enterprises of Phoenix, Arizona, first flown in 1984. When it was available the aircraft was supplied in the form of plans for amateur construction, with some parts available to facilitate faster construction.
Contents
Design and development
The aircraft is based upon the Rutan Long-EZ. It features a cantilever mid-wing canard layout with tip rudders, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, fully retractable tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.
The aircraft is made from E-glass. Its 26.2 ft (8.0 m) span wing has a wing area of 94.00 sq ft (8.733 m2) and employs a Roncz R1145MS airfoil at the wing root, transitioning to an Eppler 1230 mod airfoil at the wingtip. The standard engine used in the Mark 1 is the 240 hp (179 kW) Buick V-8 automotive conversion powerplant.
The aircraft has a typical empty weight of 1,000 lb (450 kg) and a gross weight of 1,800 lb (820 kg), giving a useful load of 700 lb (320 kg). With full fuel of 46 U.S. gallons (170 L; 38 imp gal) the payload for pilot, passenger and baggage is 424 lb (192 kg).
Like most canard designs the E-Racer has a long take-off and landing roll. The standard day, sea level take-off roll is 1,200 ft (366 m). The landing roll is 1,500 ft (457 m).
At one time pre-fabricated wings and canard were available to speed construction. The manufacturer estimates the construction time from the supplied plans as 2000 hours.
Operational history
By 1998 the company reported that four aircraft were flying and six by 1999.
In December 2013, 15 examples were registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Variants
Specifications (E-Racer Mark 1)
Data from AeroCrafter, The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage and KitPlanes
General characteristics
Performance