Sadler Vampire

{{Short description|American ultralight aircraft}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}} {{Use American English|date=June 2022}}  {{Infobox aircraft | name = Sadler Vampire | logo = | logo_size = | image = Sadler Vampire ultralight aircraft.jpg | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Sport aircraft | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = United States | manufacturer = [[American Microflight]]<br>[[Sadler Aircraft Company]]<br>[[Garland Aerospace]]<br>[[Wedgetail Aircraft]] | design_group = | designer = [[Bill Sadler (engineer)|William G. Sadler]] | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = mid 1982 | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = [[Garland Vampire]] | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = }} The '''Sadler SV-1 Vampire''' is a single-seat [[ultralight aircraft|ultralight]] sport [[aircraft]] developed in the [[United States]] in the early 1980s.<ref name="JAWA 85">''Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1985–86'', p.677</ref> It is uncharacteristic of ultralight designs in both its layout and its construction. The Vampire is a mid-wing cantilever monoplane of pod-and-boom configuration and [[twin boom]]s joined by a common [[horizontal stabilizer]].<ref name="JAWA 85" /> The wings fold for storage and transport, and the undercarriage is of fixed [[tricycle]] type.<ref name="JAWA 85"/> The single engine and [[Pusher configuration|pusher propeller]] are mounted at the rear of the pod that also includes the open cockpit.<ref name="JAWA 85"/> Construction throughout is of metal.<ref name="JAWA 85"/>

The Vampire won the "Grand Champion Design" Award at the [[EAA Fly-in]] at [[Oshkosh, Wisconsin]] in August 1982.<ref name="sadleraircraft.com">[http://www.sadleraircraft.com/history.html Sadler Aircraft History] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090926063420/http://www.sadleraircraft.com/history.html |date=September 26, 2009 }}</ref> Subsequently, designer [[Bill Sadler (engineer)|William Sadler]] founded [[American Microflight]] (later [[Sadler Aircraft Company]]) to produce the aircraft.<ref name="JAWA 85"/> Series production began in February 1983, and had reached the rate of four per month by 1984.<ref name="JAWA 85"/> Rights to this sport version were sold to Aero.V Australia based at [[Illawarra Regional Airport]] in [[Albion Park Rail, New South Wales]].

By the late 1980s, Sadler was offering a militarized version of the design as the '''Piranha'''.<ref name="JAE">Taylor 1989, p.942</ref><ref name="JAWA 87">''Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1987–88'', p.677</ref> Equipped with an enclosed cockpit, bullet-resistant [[fuselage]] pod made of [[Kevlar]], machine gun mounts in the wing roots, and a hardpoint under each wing for disposable stores, the Piranha is intended to provide ground attack, counter-insurgency, and interdiction missions.<ref name="JAWA 87" /> Power was originally provided by a converted [[Volkswagen air-cooled engine]],<ref name="JAWA 87" /> but a converted Chevrolet V-8 automotive engine was eventually fitted.<ref name="Harvey">Harvey 1999, p.3</ref> A [[UAV]] version was developed around the same time. Designated the UAV-18-50, it carried a pilot for takeoffs and landings. It never flew without a pilot on board and was never fitted with any armament.

In May 2010 it was announced that the company and its one prototype aircraft, some spares and one Jabiru 3300 engine were all for sale for US$50,000. Company vice president David Littlejohn placed the blame for the sale of the company on the economic downturn. "We failed to meet the required pipeline commitments needed to receive second-stage capital from our investors" he explained.<ref name="AvWeb26May10">{{cite web|url = http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/sadler_vampire_company_lsa_for_sale_light_sport_aircraft_202628-1.html|title = LSA Company For Sale, Sadler Vampire|access-date = 14 May 2010|last = Pew|first = Glenn|date=May 2010}}</ref>

[[Garland Aerospace]] produced the [[Garland Vampire]] in [[Australia]] between 2013 and 2016, a series of designs developed from the original Vampire.<ref name="WDLA15">Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 109. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. {{ISSN|1368-485X}}</ref>

[[Wedgetail Aircraft]] of [[Camden, New South Wales]], Australia started manufacturing the SV-2 Vampire in 2018.<ref name="Wedge">{{cite web|url= https://www.wedgetailaircraft.com.au/the-vampire-single-seat/|title= The Wedgetail Vampire|access-date= 10 August 2020|author= Wedgetail Aircraft Pty Ltd|work= wedgetailaircraft.com.au|year= 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200810112301/https://www.wedgetailaircraft.com.au/the-vampire-single-seat/|archive-date= 10 August 2020|url-status= live}}</ref>

==Variants== ;Prototype 1 :The original prototype. 30' wing, 20 hp Solo single-cylinder 2-stroke engine. ;Vampire :Production version with a 30' wing. American FAR Part 103 legal. Now back in production by Garland Aerospace as the Vampire I ;SV-1 :22' wing. Produced in Australia under license by Skywise Ultraflight with a KFM 107 engine. No longer produced. ;SV-2 :22' wing. Produced in Australia under license by Skywise Ultraflight with a [[Rotax 447]] engine. No longer produced. ;SV-2A :Very similar to the SV-2. Current production rights held by Garland Aerospace Pty Ltd.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.garlandaerospace.com.au/?q=content/sv-2a|title=SV-2A | garland Aerospace Pty Ltd|publisher=garlandaerospace.com.au|access-date=2012-09-02}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> ;SV-3 :Similar to the SV-2A with an HKS-700E 4-stroke engine. Current Production rights held by Garland Aerospace.com.au.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.garlandaerospace.com.au/?q=content/sv-3|title=Mk.4 | Garland Aerospace Pty Ltd|publisher=Garlandaerospace.com.au|access-date=2012-09-02}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> ;UAV18-50/Experimental #001 :Also known as the RPV18-50 and the OPV18-50. Similar to the SV-2 with shorter wings and thicker wing skins. Originally powered by a [[Rotax 503]] engine. Produced for General Atomics for evaluation in the Predator program. Only 1 built. ;A-22 :Armed model designed for [[counterinsurgency]], shares few components with the SV series.{{Citation needed|date=December 2025}} Originally powered by a 120hp Volkswagen engine with a turbocharged 180hp option,<ref>''Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1987–88'', p.502</ref> later by a 300hp Chevrolet V-6. Can mount dual 7.62mm [[M60 machine gun|M60 machine guns]], 70mm rocket pods, and [[Mark 81 bomb|Mark 81]] 250lb bombs with a maximum payload of 1,000lbs. Attracted interest from several Eastern European countries.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morris |first=Cole |date=December 1992 |title=Mudfighter |url=https://archive.org/details/soldieroffortunemagazine/Soldier%20of%20Fortune%20%5B1992'10%5D/ |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=Internet Archive |publisher=[[Soldier of Fortune (magazine)|Soldier of Fortune]] |pages=36-37, 80-81 |language=en}}</ref> Unknown number built. ;Piranha :Based on the A-22. Powered by a V-8 engine, capable of speeds up to 285 mph. Only 1 built.<ref name="sadleraircraft.com"/><ref name="Harvey p7">Harvey 1999, p.7</ref> ;Vampire 2 :2-seat US-[[Light-sport aircraft|LSA]] compliant version. Original prototype destroyed in post-crash fire, Sept 2008.{{Citation needed|date=September 2012}} Introduced at [[AirVenture]] 2009. The two-seat LSA version draws heavily upon the Piranha design, including the landing gear, [[airframe]] and the folding wing system. The LSA version is powered by the {{convert|120|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Jabiru 3300]] [[four-stroke]] powerplant. As of August 2012, the design does not appear on the [[Federal Aviation Administration]]'s list of approved special light-sport aircraft. Both the original ultralight and the 2-seat LSA version are known as the "Sadler Vampire."<ref name="WDLA11">Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 74. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X</ref><ref name="FAASLSA">{{cite web|url = http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/gen_av/light_sport/media/SLSA_Directory.xls|title = SLSA Make/Model Directory|access-date = 27 August 2012|last = Federal Aviation Administration|author-link = Federal Aviation Administration|date = 21 June 2012}}</ref>

==Specifications (Vampire Ultralight) == {{Aircraft specs |ref=''Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1985–87'', p.677 |prime units? = imp |crew=One pilot |length m=5.33 |length ft=17 |length in=6 |span m=8.53 |span ft=28 |span in=0 |height m=1.42 |height ft=4 |height in=8 |wing area sqm=10.8 |wing area sqft=116 |empty weight kg=114 |empty weight lb=250 |gross weight kg=250 |gross weight lb=550 |eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=[[KFM 107]]ER |eng1 kw=15 |eng1 hp=20 |max speed kmh=101 |max speed mph=63 |range km=480 |range miles=300 |ceiling m=3,200 |ceiling ft=10,500 |climb rate ms=1.8 |climb rate ftmin=350 }}  {{aircontent  |see also= |related= |similar aircraft= |lists= }}

==Notes== {{Reflist|30em}}

==References== * {{cite web |last=Harvey |first=Patrick L. |title=Sadler Aircraft Corporation Presents the Sadler Piranha |year=1999 |url=http://www.harvsnews.com/sadler/sadlerair/piranhaman.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920082841/http://www.harvsnews.com/sadler/sadlerair/piranhaman.pdf |archive-date=2010-09-20 |publisher=Sadler Aircraft Corporation |location=Scottsdale, Arizona}} * {{cite book |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1985–86 |year=1985 |url=https://archive.org/details/janesfightingshi8586shar |url-access=registration |publisher=Jane's Publishing |location=London |isbn=9780710608215 }} * {{cite book |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1987–88 |year=1987 |url=https://archive.org/details/janesallworldsai0000unse |url-access=registration |publisher=Jane's Publishing |location=London |isbn=9780710608505 }} * {{cite journal |title=Sadler develops RPV |journal=[[Flight International]] |date=4 June 1988 |page=14 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1988/1988%20-%201468.html |access-date=2008-12-30}} * {{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Michael J. H. |url=https://archive.org/details/janesencyclopedi0000unse/ |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |page=956 |language=en}}

==External links== {{commons category|Sadler Vampire}} * {{Official website|https://www.wedgetailaircraft.com.au/the-vampire-single-seat/}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20200126165624/http://www.sadlerair.com// Sadler Aircraft Corporation website archives] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20140107044208/http://garlandaerospace.com.au/ Garland Aerospace website archives]

[[Category:1980s United States ultralight aircraft]] [[Category:Single-engined pusher aircraft]] [[Category:Twin-boom aircraft]] [[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1982]]