# Rainbow Cheetah

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South African ultralight aircraft

Cheetah General information Type Ultralight aircraft and Light-sport aircraft National origin South Africa Manufacturer Rainbow Aircraft Designer Vladimir Chechin Status In production (2012) History Developed from Best Off Skyranger Variant Rainbow Cheetah XLS

The **Rainbow Cheetah** is a South African [ultralight](/source/Ultralight_aircraft) and [light-sport aircraft](/source/Light-sport_aircraft), designed by Vladimir Chechin and produced by [Rainbow Aircraft](/source/Rainbow_Aircraft). The aircraft is supplied as a kit for [amateur construction](/source/Homebuilt_aircraft) or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.[1]

## Design and development

The aircraft was derived from the [Best Off Skyranger](/source/Best_Off_Skyranger)[1] and designed to comply with Canadian [Advanced Ultralight](/source/Advanced_Ultralight) criteria and the US light-sport aircraft rules. It features a [strut-braced](/source/Strut-braced) [high-wing](/source/High-wing), a two-seats-in-[side-by-side configuration](/source/Side-by-side_configuration) enclosed cockpit with optional doors for access, fixed [tricycle landing gear](/source/Tricycle_landing_gear) or optionally [conventional landing gear](/source/Conventional_landing_gear) and a single engine in [tractor configuration](/source/Tractor_configuration).[1][2]

The aircraft is made from bolted-together [aluminum](/source/Aluminum) tubing, with its flying surfaces covered in [Dacron](/source/Dacron) sailcloth. Its 9.6 m (31.5 ft) span wing has an area of 13.25 m2 (142.6 sq ft) and mounts [flaps](/source/Flap_(aircraft)). Standard engines available are the 64 hp (48 kW) [Rotax 582](/source/Rotax_582) [two-stroke](/source/Two-stroke), the 80 hp (60 kW) [Rotax 912UL](/source/Rotax_912UL) and the 100 hp (75 kW) [Rotax 912ULS](/source/Rotax_912ULS) [four-stroke](/source/Four-stroke) powerplants.[1]

The Cheetah XLS has been accepted by [Transport Canada](/source/Transport_Canada) as an Advanced Ultralight as both a land plane and [seaplane](/source/Seaplane), powered by the Rotax 582 two-stroke, the Rotax 912UL, the Rotax 912ULS, the [Verner VM133](/source/Verner_VM133) and the 85 hp (63 kW) [Jabiru 2200A](/source/Jabiru_2200A) engines.[3]

## Operational history

By August 2012 there were three Cheetahs on the [Federal Aviation Administration](/source/Federal_Aviation_Administration) registry and two on the [Transport Canada](/source/Transport_Canada) Civil Aircraft Register.[4][5]

## Variants

**Cheetah XLS**
- Current production model (2012) with tricycle landing gear.[1][6]

**Cheetah XLS Taildragger**
- Current production model (2012) with conventional landing gear.[1][7]

## Specifications (Cheetah XLS)

*Data from* Bayerl and manufacturer[1][8]

**General characteristics**

- **Crew:** one

- **Capacity:** one passenger

- **Length:** 5.67 m (18 ft 7 in)

- **Wingspan:** 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)

- **Height:** 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) to top of wing

- **Wing area:** 13.25 m2 (142.6 sq ft)

- **[Aspect ratio](/source/Aspect_ratio_(aeronautics)):** 7.01

- **Empty weight:** 248 kg (547 lb)

- **Gross weight:** 560 kg (1,235 lb)

- **Fuel capacity:** 100 litres (22 imp gal; 26 US gal)

- **Powerplant:** 1 × [Rotax 912UL](/source/Rotax_912UL) four cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, [four stroke](/source/Four_stroke) [aircraft engine](/source/Aircraft_engine), 60 kW (80 hp)

**Performance**

- **Maximum speed:** 177 km/h (110 mph, 96 kn)

- **Cruise speed:** 135 km/h (84 mph, 73 kn)

- **Stall speed:** 56 km/h (35 mph, 30 kn) flaps down

- **[Never exceed speed](/source/V_speeds#VNE):** 201 km/h (125 mph, 109 kn)

- **Range:** 1,080 km (670 mi, 580 nmi) with reserves

- **Endurance:** 7.5 hours

- **g limits:** +6g/-4g

- **Maximum glide ratio:** 10:1

- **Rate of climb:** 5.3 m/s (1,040 ft/min)

- **Wing loading:** 42.3 kg/m2 (8.7 lb/sq ft)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-WDLA11_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-WDLA11_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-WDLA11_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-WDLA11_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-WDLA11_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-WDLA11_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-WDLA11_1-6) Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: *World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12*, page 72. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X

1. **[^](#cite_ref-SLSA_2-0)** [Experimental Aircraft Association](/source/Experimental_Aircraft_Association) (2012). ["EAA's Listing of Special Light-Sport Aircraft"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140228070151/http://sportpilot.org/learn/slsa). Archived from [the original](http://www.sportpilot.org/learn/slsa/) on 28 February 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-AULA_3-0)** [Transport Canada](/source/Transport_Canada) (15 August 2012). ["Listing of Models Eligible to be Registered as Advanced Ultra-Light Aeroplanes (AULA)"](http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/standards/general-ccarcs-advancedullist-2036.htm). Retrieved 27 August 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FAAReg_4-0)** [Federal Aviation Administration](/source/Federal_Aviation_Administration) (27 August 2012). ["Make / Model Inquiry Results"](http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=&Modeltxt=CHEETAH&PageNo=1). Retrieved 27 August 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-TCCAR_5-0)** [Transport Canada](/source/Transport_Canada) (27 August 2012). ["Canadian Civil Aircraft Register"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110718042755/http://wwwapps2.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/ccarcs/aspscripts/en/quicksearch.asp). Archived from [the original](http://wwwapps2.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/ccarcs/aspscripts/en/quicksearch.asp) on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Rainbow Aircraft Cheetah XLS"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120724104848/http://www.rainbowaircraft.co.za/Products.html/3_axis_microlights.html/cheetah_xls.html/cheetah_xls.html). Rainbowaircraft.co.za. Archived from [the original](http://www.rainbowaircraft.co.za/Products.html/3_axis_microlights.html/cheetah_xls.html/cheetah_xls.html) on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Rainbow Aircraft Cheetah XLS Taildragger"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120724105013/http://www.rainbowaircraft.co.za/Products.html/3_axis_microlights.html/cheetah_xls_taildragger.html/cheetah_xls_taildragger.html). Rainbowaircraft.co.za. Archived from [the original](http://www.rainbowaircraft.co.za/Products.html/3_axis_microlights.html/cheetah_xls_taildragger.html/cheetah_xls_taildragger.html) on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Raindow Aircraft Cheetah XLS Specifications"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120724104946/http://www.rainbowaircraft.co.za/Products.html/specification.html/specification.html). Rainbowaircraft.co.za. Archived from [the original](http://www.rainbowaircraft.co.za/Products.html/specification.html/specification.html) on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Rainbow Skyreach Cheetah](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Rainbow_Skyreach_Cheetah).

- [Official website](http://www.rainbowaircraft.co.za/)

v t e Rainbow Aircraft and SkyReach Aircraft Ultralight aircraft Cheetah Cheetah XLS BushCat Ultralight trikes Aerotrike Cobra Aerotrike Safari Aerotrike Scout Aerotrike Spirit

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rainbow Cheetah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Cheetah) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Cheetah?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.