Sportavia-Pützer RS 180 Sportsman

The Sportavia-Pützer RS-180 Sportsman is a four-seat sport aircraft that was produced in Germany in the late 1970s.

The aircraft is a conventional, low-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed tricycle undercarriage. The pilot and passengers are seated in 2+2 configuration under a large bubble canopy. The structure is of wood, covered in plywood and given an outer skin of fibreglass.

Design and development
Sportavia-Pützer was formed in 1966 to take over production from Alpavia SA of several light aircraft designed by René Fournier (aircraft designer). In 1976, it was absorbed by Rhein-Flugzeugbau (RFB).

In 1970 Fournier initiated the design of a new four-seat cabin monoplane, the Sportsman. The first prototype flew on 1 March 1973, but the completely redesigned second prototype didn't fly until 28 April 1976, as the RF-6C Sportsman, which entered production in late 1976. It was redesignated the RS-180 Sportsman when the empennage was altered in early 1978, following the fatal crash of the prototype in May 1977. The extensive redesign included reshaping the horizontal tail and moving it part-way up the fin, changing the wing profile, and removing the RF-6C's turned-down wingtips. In this form, the RS-180 was type certified in Germany in 1978.

The wood structure of the low-wing cantilever monoplane Sportsman is skinned in fibreglass. A fixed nosewheel undercarriage with wheel fairings is used. The cabin employs a large bubble canopy.

At the end of 1980, Sportavia-Pützer was fully integrated into RFB and the RS-180 was re-designated RFB RS-180 Sportsman. Production was halted in early 1981, after fewer than two dozen had been completed.