The Mike Whittaker MW-6S "Fatboy" ZK-MWS was the next type of sport aircraft to be registered in New Zealand. In my series on Sport Aircraft of New Zealand I wondered whether to include this aircraft or maybe to include it in a future series on Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand. It is rather like a 2 seat Bantam, but I will include it here anyway.
Mike Whittaker is a prolific British sport aircraft designer who is up to his MW-10 aircraft. The MW-6 is his most successful design and was developed from the single seat MW-5 Sorcerer. It can be built in 2 versions - the MW-6T tandem 2 seater and the MW-6S side by side 2 seater. Construction is of aluminium tubing with fabric covered wings and flying surfaces. Its length is 15 feet, the wingspan is 32 feet 9 inches and the wing area is 164 square feet. Empty weight is around 190 Kg (419 pounds) and the MAUW is 390 Kg (860 pounds). I am not sure what engine is fitted to ZK-MWS but with a Rotax 503 the aircraft cruises at around 63 mph, and the stall speed is around 35 mph.
We have only had one Mike Whittaker MW-6S in New Zealand and we may not have any more.
ZK-MWS (c/n GS 1) was built by Grant Sandiford of North Shore and was first registered to him on 21/5/10. The photos were taken during a trial assembly from its very well engineered trailer (see: https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/2010/06/mike-whittaker-mw6s-zk-mws-rigging.html ).
The aircraft was cancelled from the New Zealand civil register on 20/6/16 as withdrawn. I understand that it had some handling problems, and I am not sure if it ever flew but it did suffer damage in an accident at Mercer on 1/10/0\15.
Mike Whittaker is a prolific British sport aircraft designer who is up to his MW-10 aircraft. The MW-6 is his most successful design and was developed from the single seat MW-5 Sorcerer. It can be built in 2 versions - the MW-6T tandem 2 seater and the MW-6S side by side 2 seater. Construction is of aluminium tubing with fabric covered wings and flying surfaces. Its length is 15 feet, the wingspan is 32 feet 9 inches and the wing area is 164 square feet. Empty weight is around 190 Kg (419 pounds) and the MAUW is 390 Kg (860 pounds). I am not sure what engine is fitted to ZK-MWS but with a Rotax 503 the aircraft cruises at around 63 mph, and the stall speed is around 35 mph.
We have only had one Mike Whittaker MW-6S in New Zealand and we may not have any more.
I have ZK-MWS as crashed Mercer airfield 1Oct15 ??
ReplyDeleteFlyernzl you are correct as I mis-dated its cancellation date that should have been 20/6/16. I will correct the post.
ReplyDelete