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The Silence Aircraft SA180 Twister is a high-tech single-seat low-wing monoplane with elliptical wings and tailplane. The Silence
Twister started life as a world beating radio controlled aerobatic machine simply known as the Twister. It had been developed by
Matthias and Thomas Strieker in Germany and was so successful that they decided to build a “real” version of the model: the Silence Twister.
The Silence Twister is an ultralight designed by Silence Aircraft GmbH in Verl, Germany, for amateur construction, either from
plans or kits. The design drew inspiration from the Supermarine Spitfire, and the shapes of the Twister's wings, fin and tailplane
all recall the famous World War II fighter. The prototype s/n 001 D-MTMH was flown first on 30 September 2000. Designed to take
engines up to 94 hp the prototype was fitted with a 53.6 hp single-rotor MidWest Wankel engine. This rotary motor was very compact
and allowed a sleek engine cowling, but the engine was rejected and production aircraft use the 85 hp Jabiru 2200 or the 2.6-liter,
95 hp ULPower UL260iSA engines. The Twister has a honeycomb construction with carbon-Kevlar composite lining; either a fixed
undercarriage or a retractable conventional landing gear with a fixed tailwheel; slotted flaps; an automatic variable-pitch prop and
eliptical wings. The Silence Twister tank system is installed in the wing; this protects the pilot from leaking fuel in case of an
emergency landing. The cockpit is padded monocoque for pilot protection. The maximum speed is an impressive 300 km/h with an maximum
cruise speed of 280 km/h. The Silence Twister is wellknow from the British "Twister Aerobatics Team", formed in 2010. The ICAO aircraft
type designator of the Twister is TWST. |
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