Wednesday 28 June 2017

Impulse Aircraft Impulse 100s of New Zealand

The next sport aircraft type to be registered in New Zealand in a very busy 2004 was the Impulse 100, three of which were registered on 13 January 2004.  I remember seeing them being assembled at the glider repair hangar at Drury.

The Impulse was designed by Philipp Steinbach and kits were manufactured by Impulse Aircraft Corp of Rheinmunster, West Germany.  I think they not around anymore although one example has recentlybeen fitted with a 450 HP Alison turboprop!  (Have a look at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4J-GsGCjHY and especially have a look at the taxyway up to the strip!).  Its construction is from carbon fibre honeycomb, the same as in high performance gliders, and it can be built in tri-gear or tailwheel configurations.

Its length is 20 feet 11 inches and its wingspan is 28 feet 6 inches, with a wing area of 97 square feet.  Empty weight is around 607 pounds and MAUW is 1,041 pounds (471 Kg).  Engines can be in the 80 HP to 120 HP range such as the Jabiru 2200 or 3300, or the Rotax 912.  Cruise is quoted at around 130 knots and the stall speed is quoted as 33 knots.

ZK-LMG (c/n NZ100UTK7J) was first registered on 13/1/04 to McAlpine Aviation Training of Papakura.  On the same day ownership transferred to Impulse (HB) Ltd of Takapau (John and Christine White), then on 14/8/12 to John White of Takapau.  The above photo was taken at Waipukurau.  It was damaged at Kaikoura in February 2012 and finally it was cancelled on 17/6/13 as exported.  Does anyone know where it went?  The whites went on to build a Zenith CH 650 which they registered ZK-LMG2.

ZK-MGT (c/n NZ100UTK9J) was registered on 13/1/04 to Peter C Warren of Napier and it stayed in his ownership until it too was cancelled as exported on 6/5/14.  Again, does anyone know where it went?  It is photo'd above at Waipukurau.

ZK-MPL (c/n NZ100UTK8J) was registered on 13/1/04 to Henderson White Associates of Auckland.  Ownership transferred to JS Walker of Hamilton on 15/1/08 then to CJ Grylls of Te Awamutu on 12/12/09.  It then migrated South to BJ York of Wyndham on 22/9/14 and finally to JD Stewart, also of Wyndham, on 30/10/16.  It is photo'd above at Ardmore on 17/10/07.

2 comments:

  1. I have a note that ZK-MGT went to China.

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  2. LMG went to Australia, where it has been in a garage ever since. We are currently putting it together and are trying to locate the maintenance manual for it. Any ideas where this could be sourced from?

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