Flylab Tucano

The Flylab Tucano (Toucan) is an Italian ultralight aircraft, produced by Flylab, of Ischitella. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft. The aircraft was produced in the 1990s by Ferrari ULM of Castelbaldo.

Design and development
The Tucano is a derivative of the Chotia Weedhopper and was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight rules with the design goal of being a low-cost aircraft. It features a strut-braced parasol wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed or open cockpit, fixed tricycle landing gear or floats and a single engine in pusher configuration or on some models twin engines in centreline thrust arrangement.

The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its flying surfaces covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 10.17 m span wing has an area of 17 m2 and is supported by V-struts and jury struts. There is a cabane strut that passes through the windshield and cockpit area. The aircraft is built around a central bent aluminum keel tube that runs from the cockpit to the tail. Controls are standard three-axis type. Standard engines available are the 50 hp Rotax 503 and 64 hp Rotax 582 two-stroke powerplants. The fuel tank is of plastic construction, mounted under the pusher engine. The Tucano V has a glide ratio of 11:1.

Variants

 * Tucano
 * Base model with Rotax 582 powerplant.


 * Tucano V
 * Improved model, with aerodynamic clean-ups and enclosed cockpit


 * Tucano HV
 * A Tucano V mounted on floats (hydro).


 * Tucano Delta3
 * Open cockpit model powered by a Rotax 503


 * Tucano HD3
 * Float-equipped model based on the Tucano Delta3, powered by a Rotax 503


 * Tucano HD3A
 * Amphibious float-equipped model based on the Tucano HD3, powered by a Rotax 503


 * Tucano Delta3 TW
 * Twin-engined (TW) version with Rotax 582 engines mounted in the nose and aft of the cockpit, based on the Tucano Delta3


 * Tucano Delta3 VTW
 * Twin-engined version with Rotax 582 engines mounted in the nose and aft of the cockpit, with the Tucano V aerodynamic and cockpit refinements


 * Tucano X2
 * Twin-engined version with Rotax 582 engines mounted in the nose and aft of the cockpit, produced in the 1990s by Ferrari ULM.