Sunward ST
# Sunward ST

The Sunward ST is a Chinese ultralight trike designed and produced by Sunward Tech (Hunan Sunward Science & Technologies Company Limited) of Zhuzhou. The aircraft is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.

## Design and development

The ST was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category, including the category's maximum gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb). The aircraft has a maximum gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb).

The aircraft design features a strut-braced topless hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a two-seats-in-tandem open cockpit with a cockpit fairing, tricycle landing gear with wheel pants and a single engine in pusher configuration.

The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing and composites. It uses a double surface Grif Hazard wing, made by the Italian company Grif Italia. The 10.38 m (34.1 ft) span wing is supported by struts and uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar. The powerplant is an Austrian-made twin cylinder, liquid-cooled, two-stroke, dual-ignition 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 engine or four cylinder, air and liquid-cooled, four-stroke, dual-ignition 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL engine.

The Rotax 582-equipped model has an empty weight of 198 kg (437 lb) and a gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb), giving a useful load of 252 kg (556 lb). With full fuel of 60 litres (13 imp gal; 16 US gal) the payload is 209 kg (461 lb).

## Variants

### ST582

    Model powered by a Rotax 582 two-stroke powerplant. Designed for flight training and aerial work, an agricultural aircraft version was introduced in 2012 with crop-spraying gear. This includes a 120 kg (265 lb)-capacity tank that can cover 13.34 $km^2$ (5 sq mi).

### ST912

    Model powered by a Rotax 912UL four-stroke powerplant.

## Specifications (ST582)

Data from Tacke

General characteristics

* Crew: one
* Capacity: one passenger
* Wingspan: 10.38 m (34 ft 1 in)
* Wing area: 16.8 $m^2$ (181 sq ft)
* Empty weight: 198 kg (437 lb)
* Gross weight: 450 kg (992 lb)
* Fuel capacity: 60 litres (13 imp gal; 16 US gal)
* Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 582 two-cylinder, liquid-cooled, two stroke aircraft engine, 48 kW (64 hp)
* Propellers: 3-bladed composite

Performance

* Maximum speed: 105 km/h (65 mph, 57 kn)
* Cruise speed: 80 km/h (50 mph, 43 kn)
* Stall speed: 40 km/h (25 mph, 22 kn)
* Wing loading: 27.8 $kg/m^2$ (5.7 lb/sq ft)
