Aériane Swift

Template:Infobox aircraft The Aériane Swift<ref>in upper case, "SWIFT" is also an acronym: (Swept Wing with Inboard Flap Trim)</ref> is a lightweight (48 kg) foot-launched tailless sailplane whose rigid wings have a span of Template:Convert. The Swift has been succeeded by the "Swift'Lite".

Although designed in California, Swift aircraft are now manufactured by Aériane, a European firm based in Gembloux, Belgium.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Aériane first manufactured the Swift under licence, but the firm is now the sole manufacturer.

Design & developmentEdit

File:Swift'Lite glider in flight.jpg

Swift'Lite glider in flight

File:Swift-02-M.jpg

Swift single-seat lightweight motor-glider

The Swift (an acronym for 'Swept Wing with Inboard Flap for Trim') was originally conceived as a rigid hang glider with sailplane-like performance. Bright Star Gliders had developed the 1989 U.S. National Hang Gliding Championship winning Odyssey prototype. Meanwhile Professor Ilan Kroo and a group of graduate students at Stanford University had developed the Stanford SWIFT design project. When Brian Porter of Bright Star met Stanford student Steve Morris, the projects merged. Bright Star constructed the revised SWIFT and its first flight took place in December 1989.<ref name="hanggliding1991">Ilan Kroo and Eric Beckman, with Brian Robbins, Steve Morris, and Brian Porter; "Development of the SWIFT: A Tailless Foot-Launched Sailplane", Hang Gliding, January 1991. IHPA online copy (retrieved 22 July 2020), Stanford online copy Template:Webarchive. (retrieved 22 July 2020)</ref>

The swept wing has control surfaces along the entire trailing edge: flaps occupy the inner 42%, and elevons take up 58% of the outer span. Large winglets act as vertical stabilizers and the models with an enclosed cockpit also have conventional fuselage stabilising surfaces that contribute to yaw stability. The winglets on the 1989 prototype were fixed surfaces, so the pilot effected turns using the elevons.<ref name="hanggliding1991"/>

The original Swift is now out of production, having been replaced by a refined version called the Swift'Lite. This new model has winglets that, like those on the Rutan Long-EZ, are rudders when used singly, and air-brakes when used together.<ref name="WDLA04">Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, pages 41 and 52. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X</ref> In addition, compared to its predecessor, the Swift'Lite is claimed to be: 20% lighter, with lighter and more responsive controls, a lower stall speed, an improved glide ratio of 27:1, better pilot visibility and comfort, and simplified assembly procedure.<ref>Aériane Swift promotional DVD video</ref>

Model rangeEdit

A variety of different "fuselage pods" have been fitted beneath the wings to create a range of aircraft, as follows:

the core product is the foot-launched glider (the Swift'Lite)
a self-launching glider (the Swift-PAS) with Template:Convert two-stroke engine, later with an 18 hp Bailey 175 four stroke engine
a motor-glider (the P-Swift) with Template:Convert 2-stroke engine
an electric-powered variant (Swift-Light E) has 20 minutes of powered flight per charge. Power comes from an Eck-Geiger HPD-10, 10-kilowatt motor, controller and battery system, part of a setup designed and sold by Austrian hang-gliding champion Manfred Ruhmer.
a two-seat glider used for training (the Tandem Swift)

The various fuselage frames are interchangeable and any can be added to the same basic wing. Swift gliders with engines originally had Arplast EcoProp folding propellers,<ref>Arplast ceased all production around 2015.,</ref> which feather for soaring when then engine is turned off. Powered Swift gliders are not foot-launched, having instead two main wheels in tandem layout, and small wing-tip castors.

Current typesEdit

As of October 2020, Aériane are producing only 2 versions of the Swift'Lite:

The Swift’Light, foot-launchable, and
The E-Swift’Light, with an electric motor.<ref>Statement by Vincent Piret, Aeriane s.a., 14 October 2020</ref>