Stanton Sunbird

The Sunbird is a single-seater homebuilt motor glider, designed and built in New Zealand by Charles Stanton. It first flew in 1995, and was retired in 2005.

Design and development
Charles Stanton of Nelson, New Zealand had previously built and flown an AmEagle American Eaglet motor glider, registration ZK-GOE (c/n AACA/641). That craft's registration was cancelled in 1992. Stanton then went on to design and build a motor glider, and utilised components from the American Eaglet. Construction took over three years, and was completed by early 1995.

The Sunbird was a self-launching motor glider. It was a high-wing monoplane of conventional configuration, with a pod-and-boom style of fuselage. The cantilevered wing had no dihedral and its planform was of constant chord with a tapered outer section. The pilot was housed in a small faired nacelle. The engine was located at the rear of the nacelle, and powered a two-bladed folding propeller. The engine was a 21 kW Rotax 277, which could be re-started in flight. The empennage was of the standard type arranged in a cruciform configuration. The undercarriage was a fixed monowheel fitted with a wheel spat. The Sunbird met the New Zealand specifications for Class 1 Microlights, and was issued with the registration ZK-JEA.

Operational history
It first flew on 26 February 1995, with Stanton reportedly making numerous flights in it over the next ten years. On one flight, it reached an altitude of 4000 m. Another flight lasted for $3 1/2$ hours. The craft's final flight took place on 16 April 2005. It was donated to the Ashburton Aviation Museum on 4 December 2005, during the Museum's Christmas Party.