Ruppert Archaeopteryx

Design and development

The Archaeopteryx was conceived as a foot-launchable microlift sailplane, with the design goals of a light empty weight, low stall speed with gentle stall characteristics, good maneuverability and good high speed performance. A further goal was a sailplane that could be foot-launched in zero wind conditions.

The Archaeopteryx design started in 1998 at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHW) as a research project. The first flight of the initial prototype was in September 2001. Based on initial lessons the prototype was modified and reflown in May 2002. Further flight tests and modifications were carried out, with the prototype re-flying in its new form in March 2003. The production prototype design was started in 2006 and completed in 2009. The first series production started in the summer of 2009 and production deliveries to customers commenced in May 2010. By the summer of 2012 ten aircraft had been delivered to customers in Australia, Argentina, Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland.

The company is developing a prototype equipped with two electric motors to provide self-launch capability.

The controls are conventional, with a stick for ailerons and elevator and rudder pedals. The aircraft uses flaps for glidepath control, which function as airbrakes when set to 45-70 degrees. A ballistic parachute with an area of 62 m² (670 sq ft) is also fitted. The aircraft can be rigged for flight by one person in 15 minutes. It has been launched by foot, aero-tow, bungee launch, auto-tow and winch-launch and has been landed on its wheel and foot-landed as well.

The aircraft can accommodate pilots from 165 to 195 cm (65 to 77 in) in height and 55 to 100 kg (121 to 220 lb).

Variants

Archaeopteryx Standard

Basic design without cockpit fairing

Archaeopteryx Performance

Basic design, with cockpit fairing. No longer in production.

Archaeopteryx Race

Basic design, with cockpit fairing and windshield

Elec'teryx

Race version with electrical propulsion, self-launch capable, introduced mid 2014. A handful have been sold (retrofitted to earlier sold models). Take off roll distance is 50 m and rate of climb when fully charged is 2.5 m/s. It can run at full throttle for 11 min on one charge.

Specifications (Archaeopteryx)

Data from Sailplane Directory, company website and flight manual

General characteristics

Crew: one

Length: 5.7 m (18 ft 8 in)

Wingspan: 13.6 m (44 ft 7 in)

Height: 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)

Wing area: 12.8 m² (138 sq ft)

Aspect ratio: 12.8

Empty weight: 54 kg (119 lb)

Gross weight: 164 kg (362 lb)

Performance

Maximum speed: 130 km/h (81 mph; 70 kn)

Cruising speed: 57.5 km/h (36 mph; 31 kn)

Stall speed: 30 km/h (19 mph; 16 kn)

Never exceed speed: 130 km/h (81 mph; 70 kn)

g limits: +4.0 / -2.0 at 130kmh and +5.1 / -3.1 at 100kmh

Maximum glide ratio: 28:1

Rate of sink: 0.5 m/s (98 ft/min)

Lift-to-drag: 28:1

Wing loading: 12.8 kg/m² (2.6 lb/sq ft)

Avionics

Flytec 6030 GPS Flarm