Aériane Swift


The Aériane Swift is a lightweight foot-launched tailless sailplane whose rigid wings have a span of. The Swift has been succeeded by the "Swift'Lite".
Although designed in California, Swift aircraft are now manufactured by Aériane, a European firm based in Gembloux, Belgium. Aériane first manufactured the Swift under licence, but the firm is now the sole manufacturer.
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Design & development

The Swift was originally conceived as a rigid hang glider with sailplane-like performance. Bright Star Gliders had developed the 1989 U.S. National Hang Gliding Championship winning Odyssey prototype. Meanwhile Professor Ilan Kroo and a group of graduate students at Stanford University had developed the Stanford SWIFT design project. When Brian Porter of Bright Star met Stanford student Steve Morris, the projects merged. Bright Star constructed the revised SWIFT and its first flight took place in December 1989.
The swept wing has control surfaces along the entire trailing edge: flaps occupy the inner 42%, and elevons take up 58% of the outer span. Large winglets act as vertical stabilizers and the models with an enclosed cockpit also have conventional fuselage stabilising surfaces that contribute to yaw stability. The winglets on the 1989 prototype were fixed surfaces, so the pilot effected turns using the elevons.
The original Swift is now out of production, having been replaced by a refined version called the Swift'Lite. This new model has winglets that, like those on the Rutan Long-EZ, are rudders when used singly, and air-brakes when used together. In addition, compared to its predecessor, the Swift'Lite is claimed to be: 20% lighter, with lighter and more responsive controls, a lower stall speed, an improved glide ratio of 27:1, better pilot visibility and comfort, and simplified assembly procedure.

Model range

A variety of different "fuselage pods" have been fitted beneath the wings to create a range of aircraft, as follows:
  • the core product is the foot-launched glider
  • a self-launching glider with two-stroke engine, later with an 18 hp Bailey 175 four stroke engine
  • a motor-glider with 2-stroke engine
  • an electric-powered variant has 20 minutes of powered flight per charge. Power comes from an Eck-Geiger HPD-10, 10-kilowatt motor, controller and battery system, part of a setup designed and sold by Austrian hang-gliding champion Manfred Ruhmer.
  • a two-seat glider used for training
The various fuselage frames are interchangeable and any can be added to the same basic wing. Swift gliders with engines originally had Arplast EcoProp folding propellers, which feather for soaring when then engine is turned off. Powered Swift gliders are not foot-launched, having instead two main wheels in tandem layout, and small wing-tip castors.

Current types

As of October 2020, Aériane are producing only 2 versions of the Swift'Lite:
  • The Swift’Light, foot-launchable, and
  • The E-Swift’Light, with an electric motor.

Specifications (Swift'Lite)

data from flight manual

Technical data and speeds

Empty weight without fairing: 48kgMaximum take off weight: 158 kg Span: 12,8 mSurface area: 12,5 m²Aspect ratio: 12,9 Sweep : 20°Recommended pilot weight: 55 - 100 kgVne : 120 km/hVra : 100 km/hVfe : 80 km/hVa : 85 km/hVs :
  • * flap sets to 0° at maximum take-off weight: 37 km/h
  • * flap sets to 20° at maximum take-off weight: 32 km/hBest Glide: 27: 1 @ 70 km/hMinimum Sink: 0,6 m/s @ 43 km/hLoad Factor: + 5,3 g/- 2,65 g.