ICP Vimana
The ICP Vimana is a single engine, two seat, high wing, light aircraft with STOL capability. Designed and built in Italy by ICP srl, it was introduced in 2006.
Design and development
The Vimana is a conventionally arranged single engine high wing light aircraft, designed to have STOL performance. It seats two side-by-side. The Vimana is mostly constructed from riveted aluminium sheet.The Vinama's wing is tapered, mostly on the trailing edge, and carries 2° of dihedral. On each side a single, forward leaning strut links the wing to the lower fuselage, assisted by a short intermediate strut at its wing connection. More than half the trailing edge carries inboard double slotted Fowler flaps with a maximum deflection of 40°; the rest of the trailing edge is fitted with conventional ailerons. The leading edge is fitted with electrically operated slats.
The Vimana is normally powered by a Rotax 912 ULS flat four driving a three-bladed propeller, though the Turbo version of this engine is an option. It has a standard tricycle undercarriage with faired wheels, fitted with brakes and mounted on spring cantilever legs to the fuselage at the base of the wing spar. The faired nosewheel is steerable. A lightweight version of the Vimana has smaller wheels, as well as lighter instrumentation and cabin furnishings; overall, is cut from the empty weight. Access to the cabin is via fully transparent, upward opening doors. There is a small flight accessible compartment for about 20 kg of luggage behind the seats. The underside of the fuselage tapers upwards to the tail, where all surfaces are straight-tapered. The fin and large rudder are swept, with a small fillet. The tailplane is low mounted and the separate elevators, also large, are horn balanced.
Take-off and landing runs are respectively. The corresponding overall distances to clear are.
The design is an accepted Federal Aviation Administration special light-sport aircraft, as the Skykits Rampage.
Operational history
The Vimana first appeared in public at the Cielo e Volo show at Ozzano in June 2006. A second machine was produced in 2007 and became the North American demonstrator, flown by Skykits of Alberta, Canada, who market the Vimana as the Rampage.As of mid-2010, there were 5 Vimanas on European registers in addition to the prototype.