Even the perfect things sometimes have some defects and there were some on “Cruise” as well. The reaction of the firm to all my complaints was absolutely unusual comparing with Russian way of making business. In a very short period the firm worked out new design approaches and produced details of an excellent quality and durability. They were sent to me (on firm) with apologies and detailed description on setting. That’s the way I ridded myself very easily from all the exploitation problems with “Cruise”. Since that time I have flown 400 hours with my “Cruise” and made more than 2000 take-off-landings from unpaved airdrome in mountains — I live in the highlands and always fly there. I flied over mountain passes and along Black Sea coast, when it was raining, snowing, gale-strength wind and strong turbulence. I can say with confidence that “Cruise” is durable, comfortable and obedient in steering even when weather conditions are the most dangerous.

I perform flights from March till December every year in Krasnodarsky region, town — Goryachij Klyuch. If you are interested in this ultralight — you are welcome! We’ll fly together!

There is no delight without flight!

Valerij Salamatov, Russia, Krasnodarsky krai, Goryachij Klyuch

Design Center “Energoprogress”

“Tatenergo” Ultralight Aviation Service was founded in 1993 (organisers are — Tuykin R. N. and Voronin V. U.). Firstly it served for overhead transmission lines patrol and examination (the firm is controls seven regional sub-divisions of electrical power lines). For this we used to exploit ultralight “Meridian”, but in 1995 the Ultralight Aviation Service purchased two-seater ultralight “Cruise”. The difference is that “Cruise” has abreast seat layout and this contributes to more comfortable conditions for power lines inspecting. Also this allows taking supplementary equipment because besides visual inspection some complementary work is performed as well: video shooting and thermal imaging power lines inspection. So that’s why we started to make video documentaries and thermograms of defect equipment and this increased interest to this kind of work very much. Ultralight “Cruise” showed itself from the positive side. It’s advantage — manoeuvrability, unpretentiousness and low cost of work allowed to cut down the helicopters work on power lines control, which brought considerable financial profit.

For more than five years our Service uses “Cruise” and during this period we didn’t notice any serious defects in it’s design.

A. Grebnev, Tatarstan, Kazan, “Energoprogress” 10.08.2000.

Having Flown on “Cruise”

At the end of 2000 the department of ecology at administration of one of areas of Tatarstan bought microlight “Cruise” in a following complete set:

• Wing 14 m2;
• System of saving “MVEN”;
• Power plant with a 5-bladed propeller on the basis “Rotax-582”;
• Electric starter;
• Landing headlight.

The agreement of delivery of microlight actuated training of one representative of the customer under the program “Before solo flight”.

I want to express my impressions from acquaintance to the vehicle, new to me.

At exit flights with the representative of the manufacturer I was on the alert: how “asymmetry” of a position of the control bar will have an effect in the scheme “side by side”? Vainly! Get used through 2-3 flights. I, for example, was helped with an idea, that “flies” a wing, and pilot, passenger and trike as a whole free-floating underneath the wing in one point. And for the wing “without a difference”, as all this “hovers” under it. I also have not noticed a strong difference in control in flight without the passenger.

It is pleasantly presses a seat at giving a full power: 65 “horses” of power — it is rather lot! Climb path so abrupt, that the horizon “is vanished” under a cowling. After wire-braced trikes with low-powered engines — it’s unexpectedness. But you see on all “decent” planes it’s! Therefore I has recollected flights on plane Yak-52: in an abrupt set — to look at clouds ahead. Or after a climb of 15-20 m to reduce a angle by decreasing engine speed, if you want to see habitual horizon in view during the first flights. The altitude at peak rpm is rises unexpectedly fast: in the first flights I appeared under clouds earlier, than expected. “+5m/s” on a VSI it’s great!

The dialogue with “neighbour” does not call difficulties, as on “tandems”, you can talk only having turned a head as the noise of a power plant is muffled enough. Probably silencers (not only on exhaust, but also on an intake) are effective enough.

The engine manufacturer recommends holding minimum speed at 2000 rpm less it there is a slight vibration. But this rate does not create inconveniences, as the thrust thus still small, and trike doesn’t move even without brakes.

The wing is steady not only in horizontal flight, but also in a climbing. In a non-turbulent atmosphere I released control bar on 15-20 seconds, both in horizon, and in a climb. All manoeuvres of aircraft, both on a pitch, and in a lateral channel “ask” of appreciably smaller efforts (as contrasted to 16-meter wings).

The greater lift-to-drag ratio resulted in over fly on first landings. You should get accustomed to high ratio, while the visual estimation not “will complete” new calculation on landing.

The opinion on brakes, as to an optional system of microlight, I have changed on opposite after flights on “Cruise”. And that is why. Improvement of aerodynamics, the comfort, complete set by the additional equipment, increase of speeds of flights per the last years inevitably result in increase of landing speed and landing run. Therefore, in second half of run (when the wing already “does not bear”), the trike still has enough high speed of run, and the application of brakes can considerably reduce a landing run, on my observations on 20-30%. It is a lot of! The disk brakes with a hydraulic drive are effective enough: the easy pressing a pedal is sufficient to block wheels.

I recommend the first assembly and disassembly of the microlight make under the control of the manufacturer representative. Here there are a lot of “ruses”, which directly influence resource of the vehicle, its safety at storage and transportation.

For “Cruise” the in-depth description on operation is applied, that essentially facilitates “life” to young generation of the pilots, who have not passed all stages of “evolution” of our sports, from designing and manufacturing to test and flights. It is necessary to hope, that the description will trace all changes, adaptation and modernising of single production, of future models: you see the complete set of “Cruise” in many respects is individual.

I have tried to record my impressions from acquaintance to the vehicle from the first flights, as “for good fast get used”, and forthcoming flights, I hope, will give a new material for the analysis.