Mainair Rapier

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title: "Mainair Rapier" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["p&m-aviation-aircraft", "1990s-british-ultralight-aircraft", "single-engined-pusher-aircraft", "ultralight-trikes"] description: "British ultralight trike" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainair_Rapier" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary British ultralight trike ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]

Field	Value
name	Rapier
aircraft_type	Ultralight trike
national_origin	United Kingdom
manufacturer	Mainair Sports
P&M Aviation
status	Production completed
number_built	60 (February 2000)
developed_from	Mainair Blade
::

| name = Rapier | logo = | logo_size = | image = | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Ultralight trike | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = United Kingdom | manufacturer = Mainair Sports P&M Aviation | design_group = | designer = | builder = | issuer = | status = Production completed | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 60 (February 2000) | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = Mainair Blade | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = The Mainair Rapier is a British ultralight trike that was designed and produced by Mainair Sports and later P&M Aviation. The aircraft was supplied as a completed aircraft or as a kit for amateur construction, followed by a factory inspection prior to flight.

Design and development

The aircraft was designed as a lower-cost touring trike than the Mainair Blade. It complies with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category, including the category's maximum gross weight of 450 kg and is certified to UK BCAR Section "S". The aircraft has a maximum gross weight of 370 kg. It features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a two-seats-in-tandem, open cockpit, tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.

The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminium tubing, with its double-surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 10.6 m span wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame control bar. The occupants are accommodated in tandem seating, with a fibreglass cockpit fairing that includes a small windshield. To keep costs down, the factory supplied engine was the 37 kW Rotax 503 twin cylinder, two-stroke, air cooled powerplant. The twin cylinder, two-stroke, liquid cooled 48 kW Rotax 582 was an available option.

Specifications (Rapier)

|ref=Bertrand and Kitplanes |prime units?=met General characteristics

|genhide=

|crew=one |capacity=one passenger |length m= |length ft= |length in= |length note= |span m=10.6 |span ft= |span in= |span note= |height m= |height ft= |height in= |height note= |wing area sqm=15.6 |wing area sqft= |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg=152 |empty weight lb= |empty weight note= |gross weight kg=370 |gross weight lb= |gross weight note= |fuel capacity=44 L |more general= Powerplant

|eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=Rotax 503 |eng1 type=twin cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine |eng1 kw=37 |eng1 hp=

|prop blade number= |prop name= |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop note=

Performance

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=136 |max speed mph= |max speed kts= |max speed note= |cruise speed kmh=95 |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed kts= |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh=50 |stall speed mph= |stall speed kts= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |never exceed speed note= |range km= |range miles= |range nmi=240 |range note= |endurance= |ceiling m= |ceiling ft=10000 |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |glide ratio= |climb rate ms=3.25 |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |sink rate ms= |sink rate ftmin= |sink rate note= |lift to drag= |wing loading kg/m2=23.7 |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |power/mass= |thrust/weight= |more performance= |avionics=

|see also= |related= |similar aircraft= |lists=

References

References

1. Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page C-14. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN. 0-9680628-1-4
2. Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 104. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X
3. Downey, Julia: ''2000 Trike and 'Chute Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 17, Number 2, February 2000, page 47. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::