Quad City Challenger

{{Short description|American ultralight aircraft}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Use American English|date=January 2023}}  {{Infobox aircraft |name= Quad City Challenger |image=QuadCityChallengerIIC-IBUY08.jpg |caption=Challenger II |type=[[Ultralight aircraft]] |manufacturer=Quad City Aircraft Corporation |designer= |first_flight= 1983 |introduction= |status=In production (2018) |produced=1983-present |number_built=3,571 (2011)<ref name="KitplanesDec2011" />{{needs update|date=October 2025}} |variants= [[Excalibur Aircraft Excalibur]] }}

The '''Quad City Challenger''' is a family of one and two seats-in-[[tandem]], [[pusher configuration]], [[tricycle landing gear]] [[ultralight aircraft]] that is designed and produced by [[Quad City Aircraft Corporation]] of [[Moline, Illinois]]. The Challenger was first introduced in 1983.<ref name="KitplanesDec2011">Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 66 Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851</ref><ref name="challenger.ca">[http://www.challenger.ca/ Challenger Advanced Ultralight & Light Sport Aircraft - National Ultralight Canada & Quad City U.S]</ref><ref name="KitPlanes">Kitplanes Staff: ''2008 Kit Aircraft Directory'', page 67, Kitplanes Magazine December 2007 Volume 24, Number 12, Belvior Publications, Aviation Publishing Group LLC.</ref>

==Design and development== The Challenger ultralight is a high wing, tricycle gear [[homebuilt aircraft|kit aircraft]] with a frame structure built from [[6061 aluminium alloy|6061-T6 aluminum alloy]] tubing fastened with aircraft grade AN bolts and [[rivet]]s and covered with either presewn [[Dacron]] envelopes or standard [[aircraft fabric]]. The engine is mounted in [[pusher configuration]] and turns the [[propeller (aircraft)|propeller]] through a reduction drive that uses a cogged tooth rubber belt.<ref name="Cliche">Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, pages B-11 & B-71. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|0-9680628-1-4}}</ref>

The kit can be purchased in 4 major sub-kits: the Tail Assembly, Fuselage, Wings, and Engine. The factory kit is supplied with the most difficult mechanical work already completed. This includes the primary [[fuselage]] framework along with the controls and the basic wing structures assembled at the factory. The kit builder is required to finish the smaller structural components, cover the aluminum frames with fabric, seal and paint the fabric and do the final assembly.<ref name="Cliche" />

The aircraft has the ability to [[gliding|soar]] with its motor switched off.<ref name="TenBest">{{cite web|url = http://www.challenger.ca/tenbest.html|title = Ten Best Reasons|access-date = 2009-09-24|last = National Ultralight|date = n.d.}}</ref>

The Challenger design has been criticized by reviewers for its landing gear, which is a rigid cable-braced type and is subject to being bent during hard landings. A number of after-market suppliers have designed steel gear legs as replacements for the stock landing gear in an attempt to rectify this problem. The improved factory-designed Light Sport Special (LSS) model incorporates revised landing gear to address this deficiency.<ref name="ClicheB75">Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, pages B-75. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|0-9680628-1-4}}</ref><ref name="Back40">{{cite web|url = http://www.ultralightassembly.com/back40.htm|title = Back 40 Gear Leg - The Best Gear Available for your Challenger|access-date = 2009-10-04|last = Freedom Flight|date = n.d.|archive-date = February 8, 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100208221135/http://www.ultralightassembly.com/back40.htm|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref name="WDLA11">Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 116. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X</ref>

In November 2018, the design was subject to a [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]] Aviation Safety Advisory due to an accident on 30 July 2018 where a Challenger crashed and the pilot was killed. The investigation determined that the right front [[lift strut]] lower bracket had failed due to fatigue after only 402.2 hours in service. The bracket has a 500 hour component life and is subject to 50 hour periodic inspections. Examination of 22 other Challengers found eight that also had cracked brackets.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://copanational.org/quad-city-challenger-wing-separation/|title = Quad City Challenger Wing Separation|access-date = 17 November 2018|last = Drinkwater|first = Steve|work = [[Canadian Owners and Pilots Association]]|date = 15 November 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220215132711/https://copanational.org/quad-city-challenger-wing-separation/|archive-date= 15 February 2022|url-status= live}}</ref>

==Variants== ;Challenger I (Challenger UL) :Single seat, {{convert|31.5|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} wingspan gives lower stall speed. Can be fitted with a variety of engines. Qualifies as a US [[homebuilt aircraft|"Experimental - Amateur-Built"]], [[Light sport aircraft]] or with the {{convert|22|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Hirth F-33]] engine as a [[Ultralight aircraft (United States)|US FAR 103 ''Ultralight Vehicle'']], 800 reported completed and flown by the fall of 2011.<ref name="KitplanesDec2011" /><ref name="KitPlanes" /><ref name="QuadCityBasicModels">{{cite web|url = http://www.quadcitychallenger.com/qc-mods.html|title = Basic Models|access-date = 2009-09-24|last = Quad City Aircraft Corporation|date = n.d.}}</ref> ;Challenger I Special :Single seat, {{convert|26|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} wingspan gives faster roll rate. Engines {{convert|40|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Rotax 447]], {{convert|50|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Rotax 503]], {{convert|64|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Rotax 582|582]] or {{convert|60|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[HKS 700E]]. Qualifies as a US [[homebuilt aircraft|Experimental - Amateur-Built]] or [[Light sport aircraft]], 300 reported completed and flown by the fall of 2011.<ref name="KitplanesDec2011" /><ref name="KitPlanes"/><ref name="QuadCityBasicModels" /> ;Challenger II :Two seats in tandem, {{convert|31.5|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} wingspan provides more lift and lower stall speed. Can be equipped with floats. Engines {{convert|40|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Rotax 447]], {{convert|50|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Rotax 503]], {{convert|64|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Rotax 582|582]] or {{convert|60|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[HKS 700E]]. Qualifies as a US [[homebuilt aircraft|Experimental - Amateur-Built]] or [[Light sport aircraft]], 2000 reported completed and flown by the fall of 2011.<ref name="KitplanesDec2011" /><ref name="KitPlanes"/><ref name="QuadCityBasicModels" /> ;Challenger II Special :Two seats in tandem, {{convert|26|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} wingspan gives faster roll rate. Engines {{convert|40|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Rotax 447]], {{convert|50|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Rotax 503]], {{convert|64|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Rotax 582|582]] or {{convert|60|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[HKS 700E]]. Qualifies as a US Experimental - Amateur-Built or [[Light sport aircraft]], 350 reported completed and flown by the fall of 2011.<ref name="KitplanesDec2011" /><ref name="KitPlanes"/><ref name="QuadCityBasicModels" /> ;Challenger II CW LSS :Two seats in tandem, {{convert|26|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}. Engine {{convert|50|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Rotax 503]], {{convert|64|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Rotax 582|582]] or {{convert|60|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[HKS 700E]]. This model incorporates many revisions to the basic Challenger design, including a larger and re-shaped vertical fin, [[fiberglass]] [[wing tips]] and redesigned [[landing gear]]. Qualifies as a US [[Light sport aircraft]], 110 reported completed and flown by the fall of 2011.<ref name="KitplanesDec2011"/><ref name="WDLA11"/><ref name="WDLA15">Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 121. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. {{ISSN|1368-485X}}</ref> ;Challenger II LSS XL-65 :Two seats in tandem, {{convert|29|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}. Engine {{convert|65|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Rotax 582]]. Qualifies as a US [[Light sport aircraft]], ten reported completed and flown by the fall of 2011.<ref name="KitplanesDec2011" />

==Specifications (Challenger II) == {{Aircraft specs |prime units?=imp

|ref=Challenger.ca<ref name="Perf">{{cite web|url = http://www.challenger.ca/airplane_performance_table.html|title = Challenger II Performance|access-date = 2009-09-24|last = National Ultralight|date = n.d.}}</ref><ref name="Specs">{{cite web|url = http://www.challenger.ca/airplane_specifications_table.html|title = Challenger II Specifications|access-date = 2009-09-24|last = National Ultralight|date = n.d.}}</ref>

|crew=one |capacity= one passenger and 500 lb (227 kg) useful load |length ft= 20 |length m= |span ft= 31 |span in= 6 |span m= |height ft=6 |height in=0 |height m= |wing area sqft= 177 |wing area sqm= |empty weight lb= 460 |empty weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb= 960 |max takeoff weight kg= |eng1 name=[[Rotax 503]] |eng1 type=twin cylinder, inline, [[two stroke]], piston [[aircraft engine]] |eng1 number=1 |eng1 hp= 50 |eng1 kw= |max speed mph= 96 |max speed kmh= |cruise speed mph= 85 |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed note = |stall speed mph= 28 |stall speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= 100 |never exceed speed kmh= |range mi=200 |range km= |climb rate ftmin= 750 |climb rate ms= |wing loading lb/sqft=5.42 |wing loading kg/m2= |power/mass=19.2 lb/hp (0.087 kW/kg) }}

==See also== {{aircontent  |see also= |related= *[[Excalibur Aircraft Excalibur]] |similar aircraft= *[[Birdman Chinook]] *[[CGS Hawk]] *[[Danieli Piuma]] *[[Earthstar Thunder Gull]] *[[Freebird II]] *[[Lockwood Drifter]] *[[Rans S-12 Airaile]] *[[Spectrum Beaver]] *[[Titan Tornado]] *[[US Light Aircraft Hornet]] |lists= }}

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} *{{Official website|http://www.challengeraircraft.com/}}

[[Category:1980s United States ultralight aircraft]] [[Category:Light-sport aircraft]] [[Category:Single-engined pusher aircraft]] [[Category:High-wing aircraft]] [[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1983]] [[Category:Aircraft with fixed tricycle landing gear]] [[Category:Single-engined piston aircraft]]