SkyDancer SD-260

The SkyDancer SD-260 was an American aerobatic homebuilt biplane that was designed and produced by SkyDancer Aviation of Louisville, Kentucky, introduced in the mid-1990s. When it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit.

Design and development
The SD-260 featured a strut-braced biplane layout, a two-seats-in-tandem open cockpit, with an optional bubble canopy, fixed conventional landing gear with wheel pants and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The aircraft fuselage was made from welded 4130 steel tubing. Its 22.00 ft span had a wooden structure with four ailerons, a wing area of 135.0 sqft and was covered in doped aircraft fabric. The wing was supported by interplane struts, cabane struts and flying wires. The acceptable power range was 200 to 400 hp and the standard engine used was the 260 hp Lycoming IO-540 powerplant.

The SD-260 had a typical empty weight of 1250 lb and a gross weight of 1850 lb, giving a useful load of 600 lb. With full fuel of 29 u.s.gal the payload for the pilot, passenger and baggage was 426 lb.

The standard day, sea level, no wind, take off with a 260 hp engine was 600 ft and the landing roll was 800 ft.

The manufacturer estimated the construction time from the supplied kit as 1200 hours.

Operational history
In March 2014 no examples were registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration, although a total of two had been registered at one time. It is unlikely any remain in existence.

Variants

 * SD-200 Basic
 * Proposed 200 hp model, not built


 * SD-200C Classic
 * Proposed 200 hp model, not built


 * SD-260
 * Base 260 hp model, two built


 * SD-300S
 * Proposed 300 hp single-seat model for advanced aerobatic maneuvers, not built