Moni Motorglider Construction Drawings and Plans

Article Update — Photos of the designer's own project… run into at bottom. —DJ 3/2/22

A steady stream of readers inquire about motorgliders. This is one of recreational aviation'south near interesting aircraft types. Motorgliders can soar reasonably well for those interested in working thermals or ridge lift to ascend without motor dissonance.

Many others might never shut down the engine and soar but are intrigued with efficient cantankerous state flying. In a motorglider, a airplane pilot can be more than confident every bit the aircraft tin glide far further than other types, providing a broader rubber margin.

From a 1-man operation comes the Italian Piuma Project. Designer and builderTiziano Danieli describes his creations as "a friendly family of ultralight * motor gliders."

Trouble Is…
Motorgliders Are Expensive
…Or, Are They?

Fully manufactured LSA motorgliders may get yous airborne quickly whereas you demand to build your Piuma, simply the factory-built version will price substantially more. I've written about Pipistrel'southward Sinus, Ekolot's Elf, Distar's SunDancer, the Phoenix Air motorglider, and fifty-fifty the kit-congenital Sonex Motorglider, among several others (even more here). Most of these volition cost multiples of the toll of a Piuma homebuilt motorglider.

Ify'all'd like a motorglider without the big bill, Tiziano's Piuma serial might be just what you are seeking.

"Equally readers will see on the website, I am not a company, only only a passionate pilot / designer / builder of ultralight motor gliders in forest and material for personal use who has decided to sell the construction plans to finance his passion," related Tiziano.

"Now I am retired, only … being a technician by training, this allowed me to document technical texts in order to first perform the structural calculations of the elements making up the shipping and then blueprint and build the objects of my hobby." Tiziano fulfilled his dream — with a lot of endeavor — and he is willing to share that try via a plans fix and descriptions of materials needed.

Readers who want to save money acquiring a motorglider may finally take a skilful pick: the Piuma Project — composed of five models, the Original, Evolution, Tourer, Twin Evolution, and Almerico. The latter two are ii seaters, though Tiziano admits his primary interest is the unmarried place model.

"The first idea was to design, to build and to fly a lilliputian ane seat ultralight motorglider, for personal use, very rubber in flight, simple in the structure, and easy to airplane pilot," said Tiziano. "I wanted information technology to have flying characteristics and comfort higher than various tube-and-fabric ultralights of that time." (This was at the finish of the '80s.)

The first flights of the Piuma Original appointment back to 1990. This was followed with the Tourer.

­Piuma designs have a significant history, yet Tiziano saw value in upgrading his plans and info parcel. "Given growing interest in minimal ultralights," Tiziano reported, "in 2021, the drawings of the Original Piuma, the Structure Manual, and too the Project Book were improved with new photos, all now available also in English language." Based on my scouring every page of his website, I can adjure his command of English is first-class. When you examine Piuma's website, yous will fifty-fifty notice English measurements, unusual for a European  developer.

Touring Piuma Motorglider

Perchance a bulk of pilots interested in motorgliders will rarely fly them as soaring machines. With long, slender wings, gliders and motorgliders take an elegant, svelte look and are efficient aircraft with depression fuel usage per mile flown.

A Piuma Tourer confirmed the suitability of the name by flying from Venice to Sicily i year (ane,250 kilometers or 776 miles) and from Venice to Paris some other year (900 kilometers or 560 miles). These flights ostend, Tiziano said, "that even with a small motorglider, I tin can do great trips."

He has as well designed and fatigued two-seater versions: the Piuma Twin, later replaced with the Piuma Twin Evolution, that incorporates all the improvements suggested during ix years of Piuma Twin structure: a xx centimeter (viii inch) longer front fuselage, for ameliorate balance without anchor and a rear fuselage similar to the single seat Piuma Evolution.

The designer's interest and that of many potential buyer/architect may remain with the single seat models. Not but will they be less costly but with only a single seat, pilots need only satisfy themselves.

Amalgam Piuma

Tiziano sells neither completed motorgliders nor kits. These are "scratch-built" aircraft, meaning that builders have to acquire all the materials and follow drawings to build whatsoever of the Piuma models.

"Construction fourth dimension depends on the builder'south meticulousness," said Tiziano. "Normally, near ane,000 hours are sufficient for a person with limited woodworking experience to complete the piece of work. Plans are composed of large technical sheets (24 x 40 inches) with lots of details."

"Some component elements crave the use of a lathe and/or milling machine, but most of the construction may exist congenital without special tools. It is very piece of cake," said Tiziano. He completed hisPiuma Original after eighteen months of work, in a ii-car garage measuring 21 feet long and 13.2 feet wide.

Drawings show multiple views and have all the details. A "Construction Volume" is provided with instructions and references to the drawings that explain more details relating to each model. Drawings and the book also annotation all the materials to be purchased specifying the quantity and quality of each necessary chemical element, from the aviation birch plywood to the aluminum alloy parts and including Dacron fabric, glues, and more.

A "Projection Book" is not necessary for the normal architect, only it is very important for those who want to know the project better. The Project Book contains design considerations; lots of drawings of the fuselage, wings, tail, and more than; structural calculations; plus flying characteristics and speeds.

The structure plan set sells for $200-$400 (each model is somewhat different in price) in early 2022. Tiziano reported, "The cost of materials, excluding engine and instruments, is effectually $4,000 (at 2020 prices)."

Based on that number my guesstimate for total price with a used Rotax two-stroke engine, bones analog instruments, and minimal paint might exist $xv,000 or less.

How This Gets Interesting
After Mosaic Is Released

Professional build centers have been highlighted as one of Mosaic'south many aspects. Everyone including FAA recognizes that kits congenital with oversight from people who know the aircraft and the process of construction makes for better, safer airplanes. Considering condom is FAA'south principal consideration, professional architect-assist centers are expected to part of the new regulation. I have been predicting we will come across the NPRM by Oshkosh 2022 (mere months away now).

Such a heart could, for case, set up shop specifically to aid buyers of the plans sets, The result could exist Piuma motorgliders assembled under controlled circumstances.

Piuma Original (Tourer specs shown for some parameters)

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

all data provided by the designer

• Wing span — 38.4 feet (34.i anxiety)
• Total wing area — 125 square feet (99 square feet)
• Aspect ratio — xi.2:ane
• Dihedral — 3°
• Total tailplane area — 17.2 square feet
• Length overall — 19.4 feet
• Height — four.vi anxiety
• Empty weight — 320 pounds
• Max accept-off weight — 518 pounds (550 pounds)
• Useful load — 198 pounds
• Max wing loading — 4.14 pounds per foursquare pes
• Recommended load factors — +3.4 / –ane.2
• Ultimate load factors — +half-dozen.eight / two.five
• Max level speed — 51 knots (81 knots)
• Normal cruising speed — 43 to 48 knots (73 knots)
• Stalling speed — 26 knots (34 knots)
• Never exceed speed — 65 knots
• Best glide ratio with power off — 17:1
• Take-off — 330 feet
• Landing — 330 feet
• Max climb rate at sea level — 390 feet per minute (1,000 fpm)
• Min sink rate (at 31 knots) — 200 feet per infinitesimal (235 fpm)
• Engine — 25 horsepower (forty horsepower; Rotax 447)

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To help yous discover lots more data and details plus more than photos for each model click or tap any of the several links below. (Annotation: English is used and is very good.)

• Piuma Original
• Piuma Evolution
• Piuma Tourer
• Piuma Twin Evolution
• Piuma Almerico

• Piuma YouTube channel
• All Piuma Project contact information

* European employ of "ultralight" does not hateful FAR Role 103 parameters. While calorie-free, these are not Part 103 ultralight vehicles.

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This March 2, 2022 update provides photos of designer / architect Tiziano Danieli's own project. Here'due south a few words from him well-nigh information technology.

"I personally am withal flying with my Original Piuma and I am completing the construction of the Almerico (images below), which I modified into a unmarried-seater for personal use."

"The structure plans of the Piuma Almerico unmarried-seater that I used for my personal use are non nonetheless completed [but] I intend to brand them available to the builders, together with hundreds of photos of the details under construction, in the coming months."

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Source: https://bydanjohnson.com/affordable-motorgliders-yes-a-whole-family-of-them-you-can-build/

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