{{Short description|Slovenian ultralight trike}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Use British English|date=January 2022}} <!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. --> {{Infobox aircraft | name = Spider | logo = | logo_size = | image = | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = [[Ultralight trike]] | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = [[Slovenia]] | manufacturer = [[Pipistrel]] | design_group = | designer = | builder = | issuer = | status = Production complete (2018) | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 250 (1998)<ref name="Aerocrafter" /> | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = 1980s - present | introduction = 1980s | retired = | first_flight = | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = }} The '''Pipistrel Spider''' is a [[Slovenia]]n [[ultralight trike]], designed and produced by [[Pipistrel]] of [[Ajdovščina]]. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for [[Homebuilt aircraft|amateur construction]] or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.<ref name="Aerocrafter">Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition'', page 222. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998. {{ISBN|0-9636409-4-1}}</ref>
The Spider was sold in Europe by [[Flight Team UG & Company AG]] of [[Ippesheim]], Germany and was sometimes called the '''Flight Team Spider'''.<ref name="WDLA11">Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 211. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X</ref>
By October 2018 it was listed as a "legacy" product and production had ended.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pipistrel.si/trike/spider/overview|title=Pipistrel Aircraft Spider - Pipistrel|website=www.pipistrel.si|accessdate=15 October 2018|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20180615090648/http://www.pipistrel.si/trike/spider/overview|archivedate = 15 June 2018}}</ref>
==Design and development== The aircraft was designed to comply with the [[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]] [[microlight]] category, including the category's maximum gross weight of {{convert|450|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}. The aircraft has a maximum gross weight of {{convert|450|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}. It features a [[Flying wires|cable-braced]] [[hang glider]]-style [[high-wing]], weight-shift controls, a two-seats-in-[[tandem]] open cockpit with an optional [[cockpit fairing]], [[tricycle landing gear]] with [[wheel pants]] and a single engine in [[pusher configuration]].<ref name="Aerocrafter" />
The aircraft is made from composites and steel tubing, with its double surface wing covered in [[Dacron]] sailcloth. A number of different wings can be fitted to the basic carriage, but typically a {{convert|10.50|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} span wing is supported by a single tube-type [[kingpost]] and uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar. The powerplant is a twin cylinder, air-cooled, [[two-stroke]], [[dual-ignition]] {{convert|50|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Rotax 503]] or the twin cylinder, liquid-cooled, two-stroke, dual-ignition {{convert|64|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Rotax 582]] engine. The aircraft has an empty weight of {{convert|130|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} and a gross weight of {{convert|450|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}, giving a useful load of {{convert|320|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}. With full fuel of {{convert|42|L}} the payload is {{convert|290|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Aerocrafter" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pipistrel.si/trike/spider/technical-data |title=Pipistrel Aircraft Spider Technical Data |publisher=Pipistrel.si |date= |accessdate=29 January 2014|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170921225124/http://www.pipistrel.si/trike/spider/technical-data/|archivedate = 21 September 2017}}</ref>
The standard day, sea level, no wind, take off and landing roll with a {{convert|50|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} engine is {{convert|30|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Aerocrafter" />
The manufacturer estimates the construction time from the supplied kit as 150 hours.<ref name="Aerocrafter" />
==Operational history== By 1998 the company reported that 250 kits had been sold were flying.<ref name="Aerocrafter" /> <!-- ==Variants== --> <!-- ==Aircraft on display== -->
==Specifications (Spider) == {{Aircraft specs |ref=Purdy<ref name="Aerocrafter" /> |prime units?=met<!-- imp or kts first for US aircraft, and UK aircraft pre-metrification, met(ric) first for all others. You MUST choose a format, or no specifications will show --> <!-- General characteristics --> |genhide=
|crew=one |capacity=one passenger |length m= |length ft= |length in= |length note= |span m=10.50 |span ft= |span in= |span note= |height m= |height ft= |height in= |height note= |wing area sqm= |wing area sqft= |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg=129.75 |empty weight lb= |empty weight note= |gross weight kg=450 |gross weight lb= |gross weight note= |fuel capacity={{convert|42|L}} |more general= <!-- Powerplant --> |eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=[[Rotax 503]] |eng1 type= twin cylinder, liquid-cooled, [[two stroke]] [[aircraft engine]] |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp=50
|prop blade number=4 |prop name=ground adjustable composite |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop note=
<!-- Performance --> |perfhide=
|max speed kmh= |max speed mph=111 |max speed kts= |max speed note= |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph=75 |cruise speed kts= |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh= |stall speed mph=34 |stall speed kts= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |never exceed speed note= |range km= |range miles=310 |range nmi= |range note= |endurance= |ceiling m= |ceiling ft=22000 |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |glide ratio= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin=984 |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |sink rate ms= |sink rate ftmin= |sink rate note= |lift to drag= |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |power/mass= |thrust/weight= |more performance= |avionics= }}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20180615090648/http://www.pipistrel.si/trike/spider/overview Official website archive page] on [[archive.org]] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20170401012936/http://www.pipistrel.si/trike/spider/gallery Official Spider photo gallery archive] {{Flight Team aircraft}} {{Pipistrel aircraft}}
[[Category:Parasol-wing aircraft]] [[Category:1980s Yugoslav ultralight aircraft]] [[Category:Homebuilt aircraft]] [[Category:Single-engined pusher aircraft]] [[Category:Ultralight trikes]] [[Category:Pipistrel aircraft|Spider]] [[Category:Single-engined piston aircraft]] [[Category:Aircraft with fixed tricycle landing gear]]