Rand Kar XAirs and Hanumans of New Zealand

We have come to the end of the 1990s in my chronicling of sport aircraft of New Zealand.  The Rand Kar XAir was the last new type of sport aircraft to be registered in 1999 (actually it is more of a crossover microlight type but I will include it anyway).

The aircraft is an Indian development of the Chiota Weedhooper that was manufactured by Raj Hamsa Ultralight Pvt Ltd of Bangalore in India.  The aircraft is produced as a kit for amateur construction and is constructed of aluminium tubing with a welded steel fuselage cage.  Power is from a Rotax 582.  Length is 5.65 metres (18 feet 6 inches), wingspan is 9.8 metres (32 feet 2 inches) empty weight is 240 Kg (529 pounds) and MAUW is 450 Kg (945 pounds).  Cruise is around 100 km/hr.

We have had four Kar X Airs and one Hanuman X Air in New Zealand to date, as follows:

ZK-XAR (c/n 454) was first registered to Peter W Stuy of Temuka on 31/8/99.  It was sold to GJ Coulter of Woodbury on 25/2/02 and to DJ Eason of Tapanui on 10/9/04 with whom it is still current.

ZK-MMK2 (c/n 491) was first registered to the Manawatu Microlight Club of Feilding on 15/9/00.  It was sold to BM Pope of Ikamatua on the West Coast on 31/5/10 and is also still current.

ZK-JOX (c/n 543) was first registered to Graham E Mitchell of Timaru on 5/3/02 and was sold to the Waikato Microlight Club on 16/11/09.  It crashed at the microlight club airfield at Melville on 8/3/11 and was cancelled on 12/7/11,

ZK-JCK2 (c/n 751) was first registered to Henry J Young of Wanaka on 14/11/05 and was sold to the Waikato Microlight Club on 26/1/07. and is still current.

The X Air Hanuman was developed from the X Air by shifting the engine from the keel to the nose.  We have had one Hanuman in New Zealand to date.

Hanuman (c/n 1034) was started as a project by Graham Main of Rangiora.  He sold it to Roy Waddington of Lincoln and he registered it as ZK-JDY on 29/1/09.  It was sold again to the Manawatu Microlight in a well advanced state as in this photo taken at Rangiora on 6/10/09.

It was registered as ZK-MMC2 to the Manawatu Microlight Club on 5/8/10 with whom it is still current.

And now I'm off to Shanghai and Heathrow all the way by 787-9.  Back in November.