Legacy Products

Time flies and all things pass, but this doesn’t mean that we are any less proud of the products which once represented a great deal of our trade, but now exist only as a precious memory. Posted below are the descriptions of products from our previous website. These products ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ANYMORE!

1.) Extreme performance glider:
Pipistrel Apis

2.) Trikes – powered hang-gliders:  
Spider

3.) Trikes – powered hang-gliders: 
Twister

Pipistrel APIS

Apis/Bee is a single-seat middle-wing ultralight self-launching glider with T-shaped tail. Featuring the same wing- and tail section aerodynamics as the Sinus and Taurus, Apis-Bee had a great gliding performance.

***Construction
All plastic parts are made in AFK, GFK and CFK technology while all main parts are LN certified. The plane itself is made of armored plastic in a combination of epoxy resin enforced with honeycomb, glass, carbon and Kevlar fibers.
Wings are made in sandwich construction. Top and lower surfaces are made first, then all additional elements (main spare, basic ribs, air-brake enclosure, ….) are glued into the top half. Air-brakes expand from top half of the wing only. Rudder is built the same way from two halves with built-in control connections and hinges.Fuselage is built in combined AFK and CFK manner as a combination of shell and sandwich construction. Two halves are built so that most of the elements are glued into one of them and then both are put together. Carbon and Kevlar are used from nose to wing section, while the rest is made in sandwich construction. Cockpit is covered with single piece Plexiglass canopy, opening in forward direction. Pitot-tube and air vent (for airing cockpit) are built into nose. Static pressure is measured on the side of the fuselage. Radio antenna is built-in to aft vertical stabilizer. Tow tie is mounted on the lower front part of the fuselage. Rudder pedals are adjustable.Tail section: Horizontal stabilizer and rudder are made the same way as wings: in sandwich construction.

Controls
The Apis/Bee handles with ease and elegance like all Pipistrel aircraft. Vertical rudders, air-brakes and ailerons use rigid connections (tubes and bearings) while vertical rudder is connected by steel cable.
All controls hook up automatically, so you will have no problem when assembling and dissembling the aircraft for storage in a trailer.
Landing gear is a retractable wheel with disk brake under the cockpit and a small one on the tail. The wheel brake is accessible by the air-brakes handle.

Apis-Bee is a top performer and during the years it claimed several World Records in its class.*

• Free out and return distance – 310km, (Tanja Pristavec, DU feminine)
• Free distance using up to 3 turn points – 347.6km (Tanja Pristavec, DU feminine)
• Free distance – 154km (Tanja Pristavec, DU feminine)
• Free distance using up to 3 turn points – 808.9km (Boštjan Pristavec)
• Speed over a triangular course of 100 km: 76.9km/h – (Tanja Pristavec, DU feminine)
• Out-and-return distance: 501km – (Andrej Kolar, DU general)
• Speed over an out-and-return course of 500km: 82.1km/h – (Andrej Kolar, DU general)
• Free Three Turn Points Distance: 619.7km – (Andrej Kolar, DU general)
• Free out-and-return distance: 511.6kmb – (Andrej Kolar, DU general)
• Speed record over a triangular course: 118.2 km/h (Boštjan Pristavec)

*this information might change with time as new world records are set

Apis/Bee TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
 .

The new generation of Apis/Bee was improved by Pipistrel.

“The model of the Apis/Bee by Pipistrel is the second generation of Apis. The major improvements over the previous version:

1 Retractable gear, steerable tail-wheel
Immediately noticeable from the outside, the tail-wheel is recessed and steerable through the rudder pedals. This makes taxiing very easy. Further, the main landing gear is retractable (optional) by manual mechanical installation. The force on the handle is super-low, even lower than on the Taurus and the reliability is much better than electrically retractable landing gear with other designs. Both these characteristics of course improve gliding and climb performance.

2 Ballistic rescue system
The Apis/Bee can be equipped with a ballistic total rescue system (optional). It is no longer necessary to wear a backpack parachute, which is a great benefit for the larger pilots. With the ballistic rescue system, the safety is always with you. The activation handle is a pull-type and located at the right hand side of the main instrument column.

3 Much larger cockpit
The new seat shape and back allow much more room. Thanks to the ballistic rescue system option and different system of cushions, the cockpit room has been improved by a considerable margin. Of course, the pedals remain adjustable in-flight as standard. The headrest is now standard, the same fully adjustable design as with the Taurus.

4 Light engine, redesigned performance propeller
The engine selected for the Apis/Bee – the Hirth F33BS – is renowned for reliability and excellent power-to-weight ratio. We have designed an all-new propeller and the result is a 15% better performance in both take-off and climb segments. Apis/Bee climbs in excess of 3 m/s (600 fpm), which is more than most self-launching gliders and more than a glider tow.

5 Less vibration, better cooling
Now used are double shock-absorber sets on the engine attachment points to reduce the overall vibration. The engine cylinder head is a different, new model which improves the cooling.

6 Large 20-litre fuel tank now standard in the wing
For safety and convenience reasons, the fuel tank has been moved from the fuselage into the wing. This allows for a much bigger fuel tank (20 litres instead of 8 litres) and of course much more autonomy and freedom of flight. Having all the fuel in the wing is a great safety improvement as well! When assembling the Apis/Bee, you connect the fuel using the fast-click-on connector, and you are ready to go.

7 New instrument column
The instrument column is now lower and wider at the top row, while providing more legroom. The instrument panel can also fit the modern gliding computers, such as the color-screen LX8000. Because of the lower profile of the instrument panel, forward visibility is improved during take-off and landing.

8 New ergonomics of cockpit controls
The cockpit handles and their positioning has been updated for better ergonomics for both small and large pilots. The handles resemble the positioning in the Taurus, for easier type training.

9 Engine management system from Taurus
Our praised engine management system (Klaus Ohlmann says it is the best!), the Ibis II from the Taurus is now standard in the Apis/Bee, too. The pilot must only select the position of the engine (up/down) and the system will take care of the rest. Also, you can use the Taurus to train Apis/Bee pilots for a reduced learning curve and no problems with transitioning to the single-seater.

10 Re-balanced and lighter control feel
Primary flight controls (ailerons, elevator and rudder) have been harmonised to give the best possible pilot-feel even at all speeds. The ailerons are no longer hard and the Apis/Bee now handles as lightly as the Taurus. The rudder pedals and wire ropes have been redesigned for smoother travel as well. All control surfaces now feature different high performance leak-free gaskets, which also contribute to a more direct and lighter control feel, while at the same time improving the overall performance.

11 Optional 5.00*5 wheel
As an option, it is possible to have the bigger 5.00 x 5 wheel/tyre. Standard is the 4.00 x 6.  The bigger 5.00 x 5 wheel can be installed either as fixed or retractable. Very suitable for grass and rugged terrain.

12 Leather interior
People often ask – is the leather, which is used for the optional equipment-upholstery, acutally real leather? Yes, we use 100% genuine NAPA leather with Bovine texture in choice of colors which are published on our website. The customer can choose the color of the seats and surrounding upholstery in a single color.

13 Solar Panels
Solar panels can be installed as an option, they cover for all electrical consumption during gliding. They will recharge the battery on ground as well.

14 An engine unit which can be removed in minutes
The complete engine unit is now modular, including all of the connections (fuel, electricity, sensors, etc.) which are now done with connectors. For maintenance, you can not dismount the whole engine unit in minutes.

15 Much faster engine extension/retraction
The engine extension/retraction (engine up/down movement) now only takes 6 seconds. This is much quicker than before and improves both performance and safety.

16 Better cockpit ventilation and canopy-defogging
More fresh air is now entering the cockpit then ever before. It is strategically distributed over the canopy to prevent fogging when flying below the cloudbase.

17 Safety Firewall
A major addition is also the safety firewall between the cockpit and the engine compartment. It improves safety and cancels a lot of the engine noise which would otherwise be entering the cockpit.

…and 116 other little improvements!
Each one contributes to a lighter and safer structure, easier operation and better performance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is the name of the aircraft Apis or Bee?
In some countries, the name “Apis” is trademarked, so we are unable to use it. These countries are, as far as we know, the following: Germany, Austria, Switzerland and some Scandinavian countries. There, the aircraft is marketed as “Bee”. We chose this because “Apis” in Latin means a bee.

What is the exterior paint?
The paint used is a special acrylic-based pigment, which is applied already during the molding process. Pipistrel airplanes are not after-painted like most other planes – instead, paint is applied onto/into the structure while molding. This makes the paint much more durable and resistant to UV light and environmental contaminants.

Certifications
All certifications for Apis/Bee with the F33BS engine are still valid. Check the Certifications link for more details.”

Powered hang-glider: Pipistrel Spider

…has been the most popular Pipistrel trike.

With all wheel fairing, larger front wheel and stronger brake is very serviceable specially on wet or soft ground. It includes Electro starter, 3-point seat belts, running light and parking brake. For better flight comfort it mounts a 4-blade ground-adjustable, composite low-noise propeller and gear ratio 1:4,00.
The BRS, GRS, USH and PARADELTA rescue systems are easy to mount on predisposed support.

• Modern light and strong, well-accessorized two-seat comfortable tandem trike.
• Made in long-life composite materials and steel, which has been coated with electrostatic-powder and hot-paint protected.
• Ready to fly, certified like UL aircraft in many countries.
• 1 year warranty, factory support and service centers all over Europe
• Economical to own and maintain, and simple to fly.

PIPISTREL TRIKES are light, extremely strong and safe, weight-shift UL aircraft. There are nearly 300 units flying all over Europe, north Africa, Philippines, etc. The characteristics such as: auto stability on ground, strong composite landing gear, low resistance in the air, low noise and high push with special Pipistrel propellers, are the main reasons that the Italian army chose Pipistrel trikes for training special army troops. For the same reason the PIPISTREL TRIKES were used by the Army of Croatia in the Croatian Independence war. But the trikes are mostly built for sport and training purposes. They are so universal that nearly all types of wings from all global wing producers fit on them. In Germany for example Spider trike was certified with Hazard, XP, Mild, Falcon and Fun wings.

All models have:

• spring front fork suspension and glass-carbon back suspension,
• engine support on double set of anti vibration shock absorbers,
• seat belts,
• auto-stable front fork with foothold and fast tire change system,
• 4 ply 4.00 x 100 back wheels,
• big composite instrument panel for 8 instruments mounted on shock absorbers,
• complete electro-installation with 2 engine check switches,
• 4 aux. switches with fuses, main key switch with fire on board security,
• complete fuel installation with fuel pump support on shock absorbers,
• hand gas and Bowden choke levers,
• all engine cables in auto-lubricated Teflon Bowdens,
• support for battery and
• pocket for documents

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The data may change without note. For any information from the countries where we have distributors, please contact distributors first.

• Seats / Configuration: 2 (tandem)
• Construction Material: Steel
• Standard Engine: Rotax 582
• Horsepower: 64
• Propeller: 4 blade composite ground adjustable
• Glide Ratio: Depends on wing
• Mount for rescue system: Yes
• Cruise Speed: Depends on wing
• Stall Speed: Depends on wing
• Takeoff Distance: Depends on wing
• Landing Distance: Depends on wing
• Rate of Climb (gross): Depends on wing
• Empty Weight without wing: 231 lbs (105 kg)
• Gross Weight: Depends on wing
• Useful Load: Depends on wing
• Fuel Capacity: 11 gal (43 l)

Powered hang-glider: Pipistrel Twister

.With 4-stroke Rotax 912 UL powerful engine, strong and soft composite profiled landing gear and full version options, Twister is the best trike on the market you can choose. With propeller PIPISTREL VARIO (variable pitch in the air) as an option, and with a fast wing, it became a real formula 1 trike.

• Modern light and strong, well-accessorized two-seat comfortable tandem trike.
• Made in long-life composite materials and steel, which has been coated with electrostatic-powder and hot-paint protected.
• Ready to fly, certified as UL aircraft in many countries.
• 1 year warranty, factory support and service centers all over Europe
• Economical to own and maintain, and simple to fly.

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Seats / Configuration: 2 (tandem)
• Construction Material: Steel
• Standard Engine: Rotax 912
• Horsepower: 80
• Propeller: 3 blade composite ground adjustable
• Glide Ratio: Depends on wing
• Mount for rescue system: Yes
• Cruise Speed: Depends on wing
• Stall Speed: Depends on wing
• Takeoff Distance: Depends on wing
• Landing Distance: Depends on wing
• Rate of Climb (gross): Depends on wing
• Empty Weight without wing: 264 lbs (120 kg)
• Gross Weight: Depends on wing
• Useful Load: Depends on wing
• Fuel Capacity: 11 gal (43 l)