Америкалық жеңіл ұшақтар: Quicksilver моделінің тарихы

American ultralight aircraft

Quicksilver is a line of single and two place high wing, single engine, ultralight aircraft that evolved from weight shift hang gliders including Bob Lovejoy's High Tailer. The earliest powered version, the Quicksilver C, was created as a self launching hang glider, designed to allow pilots who lived in the flatlands to be able to self launch without a hill. The design later evolved into an ultralight aircraft for powered cross country flying. The aircraft line has been in production since the late 1970s and remains in production in 2018 by Quicksilver Aircraft of Temecula, California.

Founded by Dick Eipper, Eipper Formance began manufacturing the early Bob Lovejoy designed Quicksilver ultralights in the late 1970s when hang gliding was very popular. The Quicksilver hang gliders differed from most hang gliders of that time period in that the Quicksilver had a rigid rectangular wing and a tail with a horizontal stabilizer and a rudder. At that time, the majority of hang gliders were simple Rogallo wing type hang gliders. The Quicksilver MX evolved over the years. A two seat model was added for training purposes, although the two seater was not legally an ultralight. Eipper Formance changed their name to Eipper Aircraft and then Quicksilver Aircraft, and they are still in business, although they are not producing aircraft in the quantity that they were at the height of the ultralight craze in the mid 1980s. The current production MX Sports and Sprints are built from anodized aluminum tubing that is fastened together with bolts. The wings and tail are covered with pre sewn Dacron envelopes. Reported construction times from the kit are 30–40 hours.