Take Off Merlin

The Take Off Merlin is a German ultralight trike, designed and produced by Take Off GmbH of Hamm. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

Design and development
The Merlin was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category, including the category's maximum gross weight of 450 kg. The aircraft features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a two-seats-in-tandem open cockpit with a cockpit fairing, tricycle landing gear with wheel pants and a single engine in pusher configuration.

The aircraft is made from welded stainless steel tubing, with its double surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 10 m span wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar. The powerplants are various BMW motorcycle engines that vary by model.

A number of different wings can be fitted to the basic carriage, including the Drachen Studio Avent and Air Creation iXess.

Variants

 * Merlin 100
 * Initial version introduced in 1994


 * Merlin 1100
 * Model introduced in 1998 and powered by a four-stroke, 90 hp BMW 1100 RS engine. The 1100 has an empty weight of 195 kg and a gross weight of 400 kg, giving a useful load of 205 kg. With full fuel of 60 L the payload is 162 kg.


 * Merlin 1200
 * Model introduced in 2006 and powered by a four-stroke, 95 hp BMW 1200 GS engine. The 1200 has an empty weight of 230 kg and a gross weight of 450 kg, giving a useful load of 220 kg. With full fuel of 60 L the payload is 177 kg.