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NASA AWARDS "PERSONAL AIR VEHICLE" PRIZES
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#195921)
NASA over the weekend awarded $250,000 to participants in the Personal
Air Vehicle competition (), which promotes the use of personal
aircraft for fast, safe, efficient, affordable, environmentally
friendly and comfortable on-demand transportation. Four teams competed
at the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport in California. The
$100,000 Vantage Prize went to Vance Turner of Rescue, Calif., owner
of a modified short-wing Pipistrel piloted by Michael Coates of
Australia. The Pipistrel also won top prizes for efficiency and
short-runway performance, and second place for speed, for another
$60,000 in prize money. Coates told CNet News () the airplane is the
"Prius of airplanes" because it can go as fast as 170 mph and get 50
mpg.
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Pipistrel motorglider cruises at 115 knots and 3.5 gph:

http://www.mcp.com.au/pipistrel-usa/

Pricing:
http://www.mcp.com.au/pipistrel-usa/...ice-sinus.html

Video:
http://www.ultralightflyer.com/airve...torglider.html

Sinus and Virus composite motor gliders.

Richard Mudd of Pipistrel U.S.A. had the Virus (pronounced Vear-us)
and the Sinus (pronounced Sin-us) motor gliders on display at
Airventure.

The planes which are manufactured in Slovenia are available as light
sport aircraft or as 200 to 400 hour build kits.

The planes are constructed using the same composite materials used in
certified gliders. Each aircraft is certified and test flown in
Slovenia before being disassembled and packaged into a 40 foot sea
container for the month long trip to the USA. Once in the U.S. the
craft are then reassembled, and test flown by the U.S. distributor,
and then under the new Light Sport Aircraft category can be delivered
ready to fly to the customer.

When powered by the Rotax 912 engine the Sinus has a range of around
650 nautical miles with the standard fuel tanks. With the engine
turned off the Sinus has a glide ratio of around 30:1, when the
propeller is feathered to 90 degrees.

The Sinus utilizes side by side seating, dual three axis stick and
rudder controls, with flaperons, air brakes are located on the top of
each wing. Cruise comes in at 115 knots at 4800 rpm.

The Sinus and Virus are available in both a tri-cycle gear and tail
dragger configuration.

Currently over 160 craft are flying.

For more information contact:
Pipistrel U.S.A. PO Box 2010
Moriarty New Mexico
87035
505-269-8234