Our club plane is an Alpi Pioneer 300 Kite with registration PH-ZZR. It is an Italian light-sport aircraft, designed and produced by Alpi Aviation, of Pordenone. The aircraft is usually supplied as a kit for amateur construction, whereas ours was build by the factory and used as demonstrator for the type at the Aero 2015. Later a Ballistic Rescue System from Junkers has been installed by the manufacturer and again removed by us to get the CoG back into a reasonable range.
Avionics is an EFIS/engine monitoring system from Flybox with two-axis autopilot, and a Garmin 795 GPS (panel united, but removable) with a power flarm to detect nearby traffic, as well as Trigg 8.33kHz radio and Mode-S transponder, all installed by the manufacturer. It is a state-of-the-art plane, very functional, easy to operate and fun to fly thanks to the very light and well balanced controls.
Cost of operation
The yearly access fee is 500€ and the hourly wet rate is 80€.
Development and Design
The Pioneer 300 was derived from the Asso V Champion and designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight rules, as well as the US light-sport aircraft rules. It features a cantilever low-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, a choice of fixed or retractable tricycle landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration. The fixed landing gear version is intended for the US light-sport aircraft category that does not permit retractable gear on landplanes.
The aircraft is made with a wooden frame, covered with composite skin panels. Its 8.10 m (26.6 ft) span wing is tapered in planform. Standard engines available are the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS, 85 hp (63 kW) Jabiru 2200 and 120 hp (89 kW) Jabiru 3300.
Variants
Pioneer 300 Standard
Base model, standard engine is the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS.
Pioneer 300 Hawk
Model with upgraded canopy and interior, with plywood wing skins and oleo strut suspension.
Pioneer 300 Kite
Model with fixed gear and gross weight of 560 kg (1,235 lb) for the US light-sport aircraft market.
Pioneer 300 Turbo
Model with luxury interior, carbon fibre instrument panel and Rotax 914 turbocharged engine of 115 hp (86 kW) giving a cruise speed of 265 km/h (165 mph).
Pioneer 330 Acro
Aerobatic model, with inverted-capable version of the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS and a strengthened airframe with flight load factors of +6/-3g.
General characteristics
Crew: one
Capacity: one passenger
Wingspan: 8.10 m (26 ft 7 in)
Wing area: 11.0 m2 (118 sq ft)
Empty weight: 285 kg (628 lb)
Gross weight: 472.5 kg (1,042 lb)
Fuel capacity: 80 litres (18 imp gal; 21 US gal)
Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 912ULS four cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke, 75 kW (100 hp)
Propellers: 3-bladed composite
Performance
Maximum speed: 270 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn)
Cruise speed: 250 km/h (160 mph, 130 kn)
Stall speed: 60 km/h (37 mph, 32 kn)
Rate of climb: 8 m/s (1,600 ft/min)
Wing loading: 42.95 kg/m2 (8.80 lb/sq ft)