On July 7, the Uruguayan National Air Force (FAU) visited the representative of the Slovenian aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel in Uruguay. The distributor Andrés Martín Valdez and his team received the FAU to learn about the company’s products, as reported by our partner site in Brazil Aeroin.
The FAU then visited Pipistrel to get a first impression of the manufacturer’s products and their usefulness to the air force, which is looking to replace its old fleet of basic training aircraft. The Pipistrel Uruguay team made a general presentation of the company, its trajectory and main achievements.
In the second part of the presentation, they presented in more detail the aircraft, a Pipistrel Virus SW 121. After a briefing in the offices, each member of the commission made two flights.
- The first was an instrumental flight, where they were able to appreciate the aircraft’s instrumental capabilities, in controlled flight and instrument approaches.
- The second flight consisted of advanced maneuvers, where the team demonstrated the extreme capabilities of the aircraft and its suitability for training military pilots. All the required maneuvers were carried out within the flight envelope and certification of the airplane.
According to Pipistrel, “The guests were very impressed with what this little plane can do. In his words, it exceeded his expectations by allowing high-quality, low-cost training.» The representative describes the Virus SW 121 as the result of more than 20 years of experience in the design of LSA aircraft, following the philosophy of the glider.
Image: Pipistrel Aircraft
This light aircraft can fly at any altitude between sea level and 16,000 feet, it can take off and land on short runways and over obstacles thanks to its unique spoilers. In addition, it is the quietest light aircraft and has one of the lowest operating costs in its segment.
Image: Pipistrel Aircraft
An aspect to highlight is the aerodynamic efficiency of the SW121, above the average in its category (LSA-Light sport aircraft), and manufactured entirely from the latest generation composite materials. EASA certified and used in extreme flight conditions, the SW121 meets the highest standards in its category.
- 100 hp (73.5 kW) Rotax 912 S3 engine
- Two-blade variable pitch propeller CS MTV-33-1-A / 170-200
- Maximum speed 135 knots (250 km / h)
- Service ceiling 16,000 ft (4876m)
- Autonomy: 1189 km (642 nm and with 30 minutes of reserve)
- 600 kg (1323 lbs) MTOW
- Garmin G3X Avionics
- Spoilers
- Certification for night VFR flight
- Approved for Spins
- Approved for use with automobile gasoline
- Ballistic parachute as standard
- Dual glass cockpit
- Automatic pilot
- Suitable for glider towing
The flight characteristics of the Virus SW 121 are a testament to the aircraft with simple characteristics, extremely efficient and friendly to the environment, but at the same time achieving excellent performance that can satisfy an increasingly diverse and demanding market. Due to its advantages, excellent characteristics, low operating cost and accessibility, it is a relevant option as an advanced trainer.
In this regard, the Indian Ministry of Defense has issued an order for almost 200 Pipistrel aircraft, and they will be used as basic trainers by the Air Force, the Navy and the National Cadet Corps.
