AMS-Flight Carat
 | |
| Type designation | Carat A |
| Competition class | n/a |
| Number built | unknown |
| Crew | 1 |
| Length (fuselage) | 6.21 m (20.4 ft) |
| Wingspan | 15 m (49.2 ft) |
| Wing area | 10.58 m² (114 ft²) |
| Aspect ratio | 21.3 |
| Empty mass | ca. 325 kg (717 lb) |
| Maximum mass | 470 kg (1037 lb) |
| Wing loading | ca. 36.8 – 44.4 kg/m² (7.5 - 9.1 lb/ft²) |
| Maximum speed | 250 km/h (135 knots) |
| Cruising Speed 2400 rpm at sea level |
165 km/h (89 kts) |
| Maneuvering speed | 185 km/h (100 knots) |
| Best climb w/ max power | 3.5 m/s at 125 km/h (700 fpm at 68 kts) |
| Stall speed | 80 km/h (43 knots) at 470 kg |
| Minimum sink rate | ca. 0.75 m/s at 85 km/h (150 ft/min at 46 kts) |
| Best glide ratio | ca. 35 at 108 km/h (58 kts) |
| Range under power | ca. 900 km (486 NM) |
The Carat A is a single-seat, high performance motorglider. The sailplane is designed and manufactured by AMS Flight in Slovenia.
General description
The Carat is a racing motorglider. It has an unique propeller: the blades fold forward like a set of spears to minimize drag when the engine is off. This is in contrast to other motorgliders which either store the propeller inside the fuselage, or feather the propeller blades. The Carat's propeller is opened strictly by centrifugal force from the running engine, and folds automatically by a spring mechanism when the engine is stopped. The advantage is simplicity in the mechanism. However, one implication of this design is that the engine can not be windmill-started in the case the battery is drained.
The plane uses the wing from the Schempp-Hirth Discus, one of the most successful sailplane wing designs.
It is a tail dragger, and has retractable gear. Launch and powered flight is done by means of its 60 horsepower, 4 cylinder, 4 stroke engine. The engine is manufactured by VW, modified by Sauer for aviation use. The airplane can not be towed aloft like traditional sailplanes.
This wing is has turbulators on the underside to achieve a controlled transition from laminar to turbulent flow.
Major features
- Fast crusing speed and long range
- Glide Ratio: 35/1
- Conventional T-tail with fixed stabilizer and moving elevator
- Retractable landing gear
- Automatic control connections
- Schempp-Hirth air brakes on upper wing surface
- Can be rigged and de-rigged by one person