Pipistrel Sinus 912 POH
Pipistrel Sinus 912 POH
Pipistrel Sinus 912 POH
REVISION 3
(24th April, 2015)
WARNING!
This document MUST be present inside the cockpit at all times.
Should you sell this aircraft make sure this document is given to the new owner.
© Copyright Pipistrel LSA s.r.l., Via Aquileia 75, 34170 Gorizia, Italy, EU
Performance - Specifications
Sinus 912 LSA 80 hp Rotax 912
stall speed (flaps extended) 34 kts (64 km/h)
stall speed (flaps zero) 40 kts (74 km/h)
cruise speed (5300 RPM) 110 kts (205 km/h)
maximum speed at sea level 118 kts (218 km/h)
VNE 120 kts (222 km/h)
usable fuel capacity standard tanks 14.5 US gal/55 L, endurance 4.6 hours
usable fuel capacity long-range tanks 24.5 US gal/93 L endurance 7.7 hours
fuel flow at cruise speed 2.9 gph (11.2 l/h )
range at cruise speed (excl reserve, standard tanks) 505 NM
range at cruise speed (excl reserve, long range tanks) 850 NM
takeoff - ground roll - at MTOM 430 ft (132 m)
takeoff total distance over 50 ft obst. at MTOM 760 ft (232 m)
landing distance over 50 ft obst. (airbrakes) 885 ft (270 m)
absolute ceiling at MTOM (with engine running) 23,600 ft (7200 m)
NOTE Airbrakes are standard equipment and recommended for operations on runways short-
er than 2500 ft. The above performance figures are based on airplane weight at 1210 lbs (550 kg),
standard atmospheric conditions, level hard-surfaced dry runways and no wind. They are calcu-
lated valued derived from flight test conducted by Pipistrel LSA s.r.l. under carefully documented
conditions and will vary with individual airplanes and numerous factors (surface condition, tem-
perature, water on wing, etc).
*Propeller is a ground adjustable, two-blade composite propeller with metal hub, see chapter
Airplane and Systems Description for more details. Optional is Vario feathering propeller.
Noise levels
According to independent testing performed by German LBA-LTF noise regulations the aeroplanes,
the equivalent exhibited noise measures less than 60 dBa.
Coverage
The Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) in the airplane at the time of delivery from Pipistrel LSA s.r.l.
contains information applicable to the Sinus 912 LSA aircraft and to the airframe designated by the
serial number and registration number shown on the Title Page. All information is based on data
available at the time of publication.
This POH consists of ten sections that cover all operational aspects of a standard equipped airplane.
Section 10 contains the supplements which provide amended operating procedures, performance
data and other necessary information for airplanes conducting special operations and/or are
equipped with both standard and optional equipment installed in the aeroplane. Supplements are
individual documents and may be issued or revised without regard to revision dates which apply
to the POH itself. The Log of Effective Pages should be used to determine the status of each supple-
ment.
Revised material is marked with a vertical double-bar that will extend the full length of deleted, new,
or revised text added to new or previously existing pages. This marker will be located adjacent to the
applicable text in the marking on the outer side of the page. The same system is in place when the
header, figure, or any other element inside this POH was revised. Next to the double-bar, there is also
a number indicative to which revision the change occurred in. A list of revisions is located at the be-
ginning of the Log Of Effective Pages
Username: owner1
Password: ab2008
Index of revisions
The table below indicated the Revisions, which were made from the original release to this date. Always
check with your registration authority, Pipistrel USA (www.pipistrel-usa.com) or Pipistrel LSA s.r.l (www.
pipistrel.eu) that you are familiar with the current release of the operation-relevant documentation,
which includes this POH.
Tomazic,
Original / 25 October, 2010 / Pipistrel LSA
s.r.l.
M Coates,
Revision 1 ASTM Reference 14 December 2012 Cover Pipistrel LSA
s.r.l.
M Coates,
Operating temperature
Revision 3 change
24th April, 2015 2-7 Pipistrel LSA
s.r.l.
Page number Page Status Rev. number Page number Page Status Rev. number
Cover Revised 2 5-1 Revised 2
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4-4 Revised 2 9-1 Revised 2
4-5 Revised 2 9-2 Revised 2
4-6 Revised 2 9-3 Revised 2
4-7 Revised 2 9-4 Revised 2
4-8 Revised 2 9-5 Revised 2
4-9 Revised 2 9-6 Revised 2
4-10 Revised 2 9-7 Revised 2
CAUTION!
This manual is valid only if it contains all of the original and revised pages listed above.
Each page to be revised must be removed, shredded and later replaced with the new, revised page in
the exact same place in the manual.
Table of contents
1 General
2 Limitations
3 Emergency procedures
4 Normal procedures
5 Performance
9 Appendix
10 Supplements
1 General
Introduction (1-2)
Weights (1-6)
Introduction
This manual contains all information needed for appropriate and safe use of Sinus 912 LSA.
In case of aircraft damage or people injury resulting form disobeying instructions in the manual
PIPISTREL LSA s.r.l. denies all responsibility.
All text, design, layout and graphics are owned by PIPISTREL LSA s.r.l. Therefore this manual and any
of its contents may not be copied or distributed in any manner (electronic, web or printed) without
the prior consent of PIPISTREL LSA s.r.l. unless they are directly related to the operation of our aircraft
by an owner or his appointed maintenance authority.
Technical brief
PROPORTIONS Sinus 912 LSA (all models)
wing span 49 ft 1 inch (14.97 m)
length 21 ft 3 inch (6.50 m)
height 6 ft (1.82 m)
wing surface 132 sqft (12.26 m2)
vertical fin surface 12 sqft (1.1 m2)
horizontal stabilizer and elevator surface 17.5 sqft (1.63 m2)
aspect ratio 18.3
positive flap deflection (down) 9 °, 18 °
negative flap deflection (up) 5°
centre of gravity (MAC) 20% - 39%
3-view drawing
Data below is data relevant for pilot. Consult the original Rotax engine manual for all other details.
The engine
TEMPERATURE °C / ROTAX ENGINE 912 UL 80 HP
cylinder head temp. (CHT); minimum, working, highest 80; 110; 120
max. CHT difference /
exhaust gas temperature (EGT); normal, max. 650-885; 900
max. EGT difference 30
cooling fluids temperature (WATER); minimum, highest 50; 120
oil temperature (OIL TEMP); minimum, normal, highest 50; 90-110; 140
RPM, PRESSURE 912 UL 80 HP
1.0; 6.0
oil pressure (OIL PRESS); lowest, highest bar (psi) (14.5; 87.0)
engine revolutions (RPM); on ground recommended 5500
RPM on ground; max. allowable 5800
magneto check at (RPM) 4000
max. single magneto drop (RPM) 300
*Engine life is reduced. Should you be forced to used this kind of fuel, change of engine oil every
50 flight hours is crucial. Please consult the manufacturer on which type of oil to use.
IMPORTANT!
Four-stroke engines should only be powered by unleaded fuel, for lead sedimentation inside the en-
gine shortens its life. Provided you are unable to use unleaded fuel, make sure engine oil and the oil
filter are replaced every 50 flight hours.
WARNING! Use of fuel with alcohol content and/or other additives is not permitted.
NOTES
To ensure maximum fuel capacity and minimise cross feeding when refuelling, always park the
airplane in a wings level, normal ground attitude.
The visual fuel indicator is equipped with marking for fuel status in US gal and liters. Due to the
wing dihedral the fuel indicator tops before the fuel tank is full. Pilot caution is advised.
Maximum full capacity is indicated only through the fuel filler on the wing, by visual check. At
the same time, verify that the vent tubes remain unobstructed from contamination.
Propeller
Sinus 912 LSA Propeller
Sinus 912 LSA with Rotax 912 UL (80 HP) Pipistrel F2-80
Sinus 912 LSA with Rotax 912 UL (80 HP) Pipistrel Vario
(230-248°F) (248°F)
Oil pressure 1.0 bar (14.5 psi) 6.0 bar (87.0 psi)
Weights
Sinus 912 LSA weights
WEIGHT 912 LSA 80 HP
standard empty weight 643 lbs (292 kg)
max. takeoff weight (MTOM) 1210 lbs (550 kg)
fuel capacity (full) 2 x7.25/13 US gal
fuel capacity (usable) 14.5/24.5 US gal (55/93 L)
max. fuel weight allowable 101/167 lbs (46/76 kg)
maximum useful load 568 lbs (258 kg)
minimum combined cockpit crew weight 119 lbs (54 kg)
maximum combined cockpit crew weight 519 lbs (236 kg)
WARNING! Should one of the above-listed values be exceeded, the other MUST be reduced
in order to keep MTOM below 1210 lbs (550 kg). Pay special attention to luggage weight as this
is the only applicable mass on the airframe that has an influence on centre of gravity. Exceeding
baggage weight limits can shift aircraft’s balance to the point when the flight becomes uncon-
trollable! More information on baggage allowance can be found in chapter “Weight and Balance”.
Luggage access if via the optional side access door, for larger items the seat folds and the luggage
compartment becomes reachable.
G-load factors
max. positive wing load: +4G
max. negative wing load: –2G
These values correspond to ASTM standards for LSA’s. All parts have been tested to a safety factor of
a minimum 1.875, meaning they were subjected to at least a load of 7.5 G
2 Limitations
Introduction (2-2)
Placards (2-8)
Introduction
This section includes operating limitations, instrument markings and basic placards necessary for
the safe operation of the airplane, it’s engine, standard system and standard equipment.
The limitations included in this section have been approved. Observance of these operating limita-
tions is required by Federal Aviation Regulations.
Sinus 912 LSA is approved under ASTM standard F2564.
Airspeed limitations
IAS
Velocity Remarks
[kts (km/h)]
Stall speed
VS Clean 40 (74) Stall speed flap up.
Stall speed
VS0 Landing configuration 34 (64) Stall speed flaps full.
Yellow band
76 - 120 Manoeuvre the aircraft with caution in calm air only.
(141 - 222)
Red line
120 Maximum speed for all operations
(222)
Blue line 62 (115) Best climb rate speed (VY )
Powerplant limitations
Engine manufacturer: ROTAX
Engine type: ROTAX 912 UL (80 HP)
Data below is data relevant for the pilot. Consult the original Rotax engine manual for all other details.
The engine
TEMPERATURE °C / ROTAX ENGINE 912 UL 80 HP
cylinder head temp. (CHT); minimum, working, highest 80; 110; 120
max. CHT difference /
exhaust gas temperature (EGT); normal, max. 650-885; 900
max. EGT difference 30
cooling fluids temperature (WATER); minimum, highest 50; 120
oil temperature (OIL TEMP); minimum, normal, highest 50; 90-110; 140
RPM, PRESSURE 912 UL 80 HP
oil pressure (OIL PRESS); lowest, highest 1.0; 6.0
engine revolutions (RPM); on ground recommended 5500
RPM on ground; max. allowable 5800
ignition check at (RPM) 4000
max. single ignition drop (RPM) 300
*Shorter maintenance intervals are imposed. Should you be forced to used this kind of fuel,
change of engine oil every 50 flight hours is crucial. Please consult the manufacturer on which
type of oil to use.
IMPORTANT!
Four-stroke engines should only be powered by unleaded fuel, for lead sedimentation inside the en-
gine shortens its life. Provided you are unable to use unleaded fuel, make sure engine oil and the oil
filter are replaced every 50 flight hours.
WARNING! Use of fuel with alcohol content and/or other additives is not permitted.
Propeller
Sinus SW Propeller
Pipistrel F2-80 - diameter 63 inch (1620 mm)
Sinus 912 LSA with Rotax 912 UL (80 HP)
Pipistrel Vario feathering propeller 63 inch (1620mm)
(230-248°F) (248°F)
Oil pressure 1.0 bar (14.5 psi) 6.0 bar (87.0 psi)
Weights
Sinus 912 LSA weights
WEIGHT 912 LSA 80 LSA
max. takeoff weight (MTOM) 1210 lbs (550 kg)
minimum combined cockpit crew weight 119 lbs (54 kg)
maximum combined cockpit crew weight 519 lbs (236 kg)
85 lbs absolute limit, where the load is to
be distributed and loading not exceed
baggage area 8 pounds per square foot. Always verify
baggage allowance with a
Centre of Gravity calculation!
WARNING! Should one of the above-listed values be exceeded, other MUST be reduced in
order to keep MTOM below 1210 lbs (550 kg). Pay special attention to luggage weight as this is
the only applicable mass on the airframe that has an influence on centre of gravity. Exceeding
baggage weight limits can shift aircraft’s balance to the point when the flight becomes uncon-
trollable! More information on baggage allowance can be found in chapter “Weight and Balance”.
G-load factors
max. positive wing load: +4G
max. negative wing load: –2G
These values correspond to ASTM standards for LSA’s. All parts have been tested to a safety factor of
a minimum of 1.875, meaning they were subjected to at least a load of 7.5 G
VNE
120 kts 111 kts 100 kts 92 kts
(IAS)
Maneuver limits
Sinus 912 LSA is approved under ASTM standard F2564 and is intended for recreational
and instructional flight operations. In the acquisition of various pilot certificates certain
maneuvers are required and these maneuvers are permitted in this airplane.
• Power-on and -off stalls not below 1500 feet (450 meters) above ground level.
• Power on and off lazy eights not below 1500 feet (450 meters) above ground level,
entry speed 90 kts
• Steep turns with initial speed of 80 kts.
• Chandelle maneuvers not below 500 feet (150 meters) above ground level, entry
speed 105 kts.
• Spin initiation and recovery (at most 180° in actual spinning manoeuvre).
CAUTION! Intentional flying with both cabin doors open is prohibited. Flying with one door
open in flight is approved with airspeeds up to 60 kts, flying with one door removed is approved
without changes to the limitations of the normal operational envelope.
Kinds of operations
Sinus 912 LSA is approved for DAY - NIGHT - VFR operations only. Flight
into known icing conditions is prohibited.
WARNING! Should you find water drops on the airframe during preflight check-up at
temperatures close to freezing, you may expect icing to appear in flight. Optional airbrakes are
especially prone to icing under such circumstances. As water may accumulate underneath the
top plate(s), spoilers may freeze to the wing surface. Should this occur, you will most definitely be
unable to extend spoilers before the ice melts. Therefore, flying under circumstances mentioned
above, it is recommended to extend and retract the spoilers in flight frequently to prevent its sur-
face freezing to the airframe.
• Tachometer (RPM), EGT indication (functional), CHT indication (functional), OIL temp. indica-
tion (functional), OIL press. indication (functional)
• 12 V Main battery (functional), Alternator (functional) Safety belts (2x), Visual fuel indication
(L/R functional), Fuel shut-off valves (L/R, functional)
Fuel limitations
FUEL Sinus 912 LSA
fuel capacity (full standard tanks) 2 x 8 US gal (2x30 L)
fuel capacity (full long range tanks) 2 x 13 US gal (2x50)
14.5 / 24.5 US gal
fuel capacity (usable - all flight conditions, standard/long range)
55 / 93 L
WARNING! Takeoff is prohibited if either visual fuel indicator indicates in the red area (less
than 1.3 US gal) or when unsure about the fuel quantity on board.
NOTES
To ensure maximum fuel capacity and minimise cross feeding when refuelling, always park the
airplane in a wings level, normal ground attitude.
The visual fuel indicator is equipped with marking for fuel status in US gal and liters. Due to the
wing dihedral the fuel indicator tops before the fuel tank is full. Pilot caution is advised.
Maximum full capacity is indicated only through the fuel filler on the wing, by visual check. At
the same time, verify that the vent tubes remain unobstructed from contamination.
Other restrictions
Due to flight safety reasons it is forbidden to:
• fly in a blizzard;
• fly according to instrumental flight rules (IFR) or attempt to fly in zero visibility condi-
tions (IMC);
• fly when outside air temperature (OAT) reaches 50°C (122°F) or higher;
• take off and land with flaps retracted or set to negative (-5°) position
(landing with -5° is permitted only in case of very strong winds,
but is not to be performed as a normal procedure)
• take off with airbrakes extended.
• the 12 Volt power outlet is not approved to supply power to flight-critical communi-
cation or navigation devices.
Sv30 Sv30
Sv50 Sv50
Limitations
E
6 6 ballistic rescue system.
20 20
IV
R
30 30
S
E
6 6 This aircraft is equipped
15 4 4 15
LO
20 5 5 20 with a rocket powered
NG
P
Placards
DA
2 2 15 15
EX
3 3
5 5 10 10 PASSENGER WARNING
2-8 Sinus 912 LSA Glider 550 MTOW
MAX 26 psi
MAX 12 psi
airworthiness standards and does not
MAX 18 psi
MAX 26 psi
R DRAIN
ATE
MAX 1.2 bar
MAX 1.8 bar
V
ROCKET FOR PARACHUTE
/W
AL
EL
VE
FU
OPEN
CLOSED
NO STEP
+18 34-60 kts
VSO 34 kts
Respect limits VS1 40 kts VNE PULL FOR PARACHUTE
from POH! DEPLOYMENT
+9 38-70 kts VFE 70 kts 120 kts NO STEP
VA 76 kts Respect limits
0 40-86 kts, then -5 VNO 76 kts from POH!
ROCKET GAS
80 % ANTIFREEZE EXHAUST
+ 20 % WATER
EAW lbs
ATTENTION!
MTOW 1212 lbs 3,5 l OIL ROCKET INSIDE
CREW WT min.121 lbs Refer to ROTAX manual
LUGGAGE WT 55 lbs
3 Emergency procedures
Introduction (3-2)
Stall recovery (3-2)
Spin recovery (3-2)
Engine failure (3-3)
Emergency landing /
Landing out (3-3)
Engine fire (3-3)
Smoke in cockpit (3-4)
Carburetor icing (3-4)
Electrical system failure (3-5)
Flutter (3-5)
Exceeding VNE (3-5)
Ditching (3-5)
Icing/Pneumatic failure
(3-5)
Introduction
This sections provides information for coping with emergencies that may occur. Emergencies caused
by airplane or engine malfunctions are extremely rare if proper preflight inspections and mainte-
nance are practiced. Enroute weather emergencies can be minimized or eliminated by careful flight
planning and good judgment when unexpected weather is encountered. In any emergency, the
most important task is continued control of the airplane and manoeuvring to execute a successful
landing.
Stall recovery
First reduce angle of attack by pushing the control stick forward, then
Spin recovery
Sinus 912 LSA is constructed in such manner that it is difficult to be flown into a spin, and even so
only at aft centre of gravity positions. However, once spinning, intentionally or unintentionally, react
as follows:
Sinus 912 LSA tends to re-establish normal flight by itself usually after having spinned for a mere
45°-90°.
WARNING! Keep the control stick centred along its lateral axis (no aileron deflections
throughout the recovery phase! Do not attempt to stop the aircraft from spinning using ailerons
instead of rudder!
WARNING! After having stopped spinning, recovering from the dive must be performed
using gentle stick movements (pull), rather than overstressing the aircraft.
However, VNE must not be exceeded during this manoeuvre.
When the aircraft is wings-level and flies horizontally, add throttle and resume normal flight.
Engine failure
Engine failure during takeoff
Ensure proper airspeed first (55 kts) and land the aircraft on runway heading, avoiding eventual ob-
stacles in your way. Shut both fuel valves and set master switch to OFF position (key full left).
WARNING! DO NOT CHANGE COURSE OR MAKE TURNS IF THIS IS NOT OF VITAL NECESSITY!
After having landed safely, ensure protection of aircraft and vacate the runway as soon as pos-
sible to keep the runway clear for arriving and departing traffic.
The landing off airport manoeuvre MUST be preformed with regard to all normal flight parameters.
Engine fire
Engine fire on ground
This phenomenon is very rare in the field of sport aviation. However, if an engine fire on ground oc-
curs, react as follows:
WARNING! After the fire has been extinguished DO NOT attempt to restart the engine.
Smoke in cockpit
Smoke in cockpit is usually a consequence of electrical wiring malfunction. As it is most definitely
caused by a short circuit it is required that the pilot reacts as follows:
1. Master switch to I (key in central position). This enables unobstructed engine operation while
at the same time disconnects all other electrical devices from the circuit. Verify that the 12 V and
optional Pitot heat are OFF as well.
2. Disconnect the battery from the circuit (pull battery disconnection ring on the instrument
panel’s switch column).
3. Land as soon as possible.
In case you have trouble breathing or the visibility out of the cockpit has degraded severely due to
the smoke, open the cabin door and leave it hanging freely. Flying with the door open, do not, under
any circumstances exceed 60 kts (110 km/h).
Carburetor icing
First noticeable signs of carburetor icing are rough engine running and gradual loss of power.
Carburetor icing may occur even at temperatures as high as 50°F (10°C) , provided the air humidity is
increased.
The carburetor air-intake in the Sinus 912 LSA is preheated, running over the water cooling radiator
before entering the carburetors. Therefore the possibility of carburetor icing is minuet.
Should you be suspecting carburetor icing to take place, descend immediately into warmer and/
or less humid air!
In case of complete power loss perform emergency landing procedure.
Flutter
Flutter is defined as the oscillation of control surfaces. It is most cases caused by abrupt control de-
flections at speeds close or in excess of VNE. As it occurs, the ailerons, elevator or even the whole
aircraft start to vibrate violently.
Should flutter occur, increase angle of attack (pull stick back) and reduce throttle
immediately in order to reduce speed and increase load (damping) on the structure.
WARNING! Fluttering of ailerons or tail surfaces may cause permanent structural damage
and/or inability to control the aircraft. After having landed safely, the aircraft MUST undergo a
series of check-ups performed by authorised service personnel to verify airworthiness.
Exceeding VNE
Should the VNE be exceeded, reduce airspeed slowly and continue flying using gentle control
deflections. Land safely as soon as possible and have the aircraft verified for airworthiness by
authorised service personnel.
Ditching
Should you be forced to land in a body of water, use the same emergency procedure as above for
the “Emergency landing / Landing out” case. In addition, make sure to open both doors fully be-
fore hitting the water, disconnect the battery from the circuit (pull ring on electrical panel). Touch
the water with the slowest possible speed, possibly from a high-flare situation.
Set cabin heating ON and Pitot heat (optional) ON. Watch for signs of icing on the pitot tube. In
case of pneumatic instrument failures, use the GPS (optional) information to reference to ap-
proximate ground speed. Plan the landing at the nearest airport, or a suitable off airport landing
site in case of an extremely rapid ice build-up.
Maneuverer the aeroplane gently and leave the wing flaps retracted. When ice is built up at the
horizontal stabilizer, the change of pitching moment due to flaps extension may result of loss of
elevator control. Approach at elevated speeds (70 kts, also if using the GPS as a reference).
4 Normal procedures
Daily inspection (4-2)
Daily Inspection
The daily check-up matches the preflight inspection.
Preflight inspection
WARNING! Every single inspection mentioned in this chapter must be performed prior to
EVERY FLIGHT, regardless of when the previous flight took place!
The person responsible for the preflight inspection is the pilot, who is required to per-
form the check-up in the utmost thorough and precise manner.
Provided the status of any of the parts and/or operations does not comply with conditions stated
in this chapter, the damage MUST be repaired prior to engine start-up. Disobeying this instruc-
tions may result in serious further damage to the plane and crew, including injury and loss of life!
2 4
1
21 22 5 6
20 7
19 18 17 10 9 8
16 11
15 12
14 13
1 Engine, engine cover 8 Right wing - trailing edge 15 Hor. tail surfaces (left)
2 Gascolator 9 Right air brake 16 Fuselage, continued (left)
3 Spinner, Nose wheel 10 Fuselage (RH side) 17 Fuselage (LH side)
4 Propeller 11 Fuselage, continued (right) 18 Left air brake
5 Undercarriage, RH wheel 12 Hor. tail surfaces (right) 19 Left wing - trailing edge
6 Right wing - leading edge 13 Vert. tail surfaces (right) 20 Left wingtip, lights
7 Right wingtip, lights 14 Vert. tail surfaces (left) 21 Left wing - leading edge
22 Undercarriage, LH wheel
Throttle, choke and oil pump wires: no mechanical damage, smooth and unobstructed movement
Radiators and hoses: no mechanical damage and/or leakage, air filters clean and intact
Exhaust pipes and muffler: firmly in position, no cracks, springs intact and in position, rubber
dumpers intact
Fuel and/or oil leakage: no fluid on hoses, engine housing or engine cover
Reduction gearbox: check for eventual oil leakage, all bolts and plugs attached firmly
Gascolator 2
Spinner 3
Propeller 4
Hub and blades: no mechanical damage (e.g. cracks), both immaculately clean
Bolts and nuts: secured
Feathering mechanism (optional): smooth travel of propeller pitch, adequate spring tension
Undercarriage, wheels 5 22
Bolts: fastened
Landing gear strut: no mechanical damage (e.g. cracks), clean
Wheel: no mechanical damage (e.g. cracks), clean
Wheel axle and nut: fastened
Oil line (hydraulic brakes): no mechanical damage and/or leakage
Tire: no cracks, adequate pressure
Wheel fairing: undamaged, firmly attached, clean (e.g. no mud or grass on the inside)
Surface condition: pristine, no cracks, impact spots, no paint and/or edge separations
Pitot tube: firmly attached, no mechanical damage or bending. Remove protection cover and make
sure it is not blocked or full of water.
Wing drain holes: make sure they are not blocked and clean accordingly.
Wingtip, lights 7 20
Surface condition: pristine, no cracks, impact spots, no paint and/or edge separations
Mylar sealing tape between wing and aileron: undamaged and in position
Aileron: pristine surface, no cracks and/or impact spots, no paint abnormalities and edge separa-
tions, no vertical or horizontal free play, smooth and unobstructed deflections
Air brakes: firm, smooth, equal and unobstructed extension, tightly fitted when retracted, springs
stiff and intact.
Fuel reservoir cap: fastened. Make sure the vent pipe is completely clean.
Fuselage, continued 11 16
Surface condition: pristine, no cracks, impact spots or bumps, no paint and/or edge separations
Hinges: no free play in any direction
Central securing screw on top of the horizontal stabilizer: fastened and secured
Self-adhesive tape covering the gap between horizontal and vertical tail surfaces: in position
Elevator: smooth and unobstructed up-down movement, no side-to-side free play
Vertical fin bottom part: no cracks, impact spots or paint separations along main chord
Surface condition: pristine, no cracks, impact spots or bumps, no paint separations
Hinges: no free play in any direction
Rudder cable endings: intact, bolts in position
Normal procedures
and recommended speeds
To enter the cabin first lift the door all the way to the bottom wing surface. The silver knob will grab
and secure the door in position. Sit onto the cabin’s edge and support your body by placing hands
onto this same cabin edge. Drag yourself into the seat lifting first only one leg over the stick for best
position. Immediately after having sat into the seat, check rudder pedals’ position to suit your size
and needs. To lower the door DO NOT attempt to grab and pull door’s handle but gently pull the sil-
ver knob instead. To close the door securely, rotate the handle so that it locks and verify that all three
closing points are secured.
Fasten the safety harnesses according to your size.
Adjust the rudder pedals according to your required legroom. The aircraft is equipped with in-flight
adjustable rudder pedals, which adjust as follows:
Sit inside the cockpit and release the pressure off the pedals. Pull the black knob in front of the con-
trol stick to bring the pedals closer to you. To move the pedals further away, first release the pressure
of the pedals, then pull on the knob slightly (this will release the lock in the mechanism). Now push
the pedals forward using with your feet, while keeping the black adjustment knob in your hand.
WARNING! The safety harness must hold you in your seat securely. This is especially impor-
tant when flying in rough air, as otherwise you may bump into the tubes and/or spars overhead.
Make sure you tighten the bottom straps first, then shoulder straps.
Engine start-up
Before engine start-up
CAUTION! To ensure proper and safe use of aircraft it is essential for one to familiarise your-
self with engine’s limitations and engine manufacturer’s safety warnings. Before engine start-up
make sure the area in front of the aircraft is clear. It is recommended to start-up the engine with
aircraft’s nose pointing against the wind.
Make sure the fuel quantity is sufficient for the planned flight duration.
Make sure the pitot tube is uncovered and rescue parachute safety pin removed.
Engage wheel brakes. If equipped with the parking brake, engage parking brake.
Engine start-up
Make sure both fuel valves are open and master switch in OFF position (key full left).
Should the engine be cold, apply choke (lever full back).
Set master switch ON (key in full right position). Set both magneto switches ON. Avionics OFF.
Engage engine starter and keep it engaged until the engine starts.
Set throttle to 2500 RPM.
Slide the choke lever forward gradually.
CAUTION! When the engine is very cold, the engine may refuse to start. Should this occur,
move the choke handle fully backwards and hold it there for some 20 seconds to make mixture
richer.
CAUTION! Avoid engine warm-up at idle throttle as this causes the spark plugs to turn dirty
and the engine to overheat.
With wheel brakes engaged and control stick in full back position, first set engine power to 4000
RPM in order to perform the ignition check. Set the ignition switches OFF and back ON one by one to
verify RPM drop of not more than 300 RPM.
When the ignition check has been completed, add full power (throttle lever full forward) and
monitor engine’s RPM. Make sure they range between maximum recommended and maximum
allowable RPM limits.
Note that engine does not reach 5800 RPM on ground. Engines are factory set to reach maximum
ground RPM of 5300 - 5500 at sea level at 68° F. Maximum ground RPM may vary depending on the
season and service elevation.
CAUTION! Should engine’s RPM be lower than the recommended on ground amount (min.
5100 RPM) or in excess of maximum allowable RPM on ground (5800) during this manoeuvre,
check engine and wiring for correct installation.
Taxi
Release parking brake if fitted. Taxing technique does not differ from other aircraft equipped with a
steerable nose wheel. Prior to taxiing it is essential to check wheel brakes for proper braking action.
In the case you expect o taxi a long way, take engine warm-up time into account and begin taxiing
immediately after engine start-up. Warm-up the engine during taxiing not to cause engine overheat-
ing because of prolonged ground operation.
Holding point
Make sure the temperatures at full power range are within operational limits.
Make sure the safety harnesses are fastened and doors closed and secured at all three closing points.
Set flaps to 2nd position (flap handle full up).
Power idle.
CAUTION! Should the engine start to overheat because of long taxi and holding, shut down
the engine and wait for the engine temperatures drop to reasonable values. If possible, point
the aircraft’s nose into the wind. This will provide radiators with airflow to cool down the engine
faster.
WARNING! Should engine RPM not reach more than 5000 RPM when at full throttle, ABORT
TAKE-OFF IMMEDIATELY, come to a standstill and verify that the propeller is at minimum pitch
setting .
Start the takeoff roll pulling the control stick one third backward and lift the nose wheel off the
ground as you accelerate. Reaching 40-43 kts, gently pull on the stick to get the aircraft airborne.
CAUTION! Crosswind (max 15 kts) takeoff should be performed with the control stick pointed
into the wind. Special attention should be paid to maintaining runway heading!
Initial climb
When airborne, engage brakes momentarily to prevent in-flight wheel spinning.
Accelerate at full power and later maintain proper climbing speed.
As you reach 50 kts (90 km/h) at above 150 ft (50 m), set flaps to 1st stage, reaching 60 kts (110 km/h)
at 300 ft (100 m) set flaps to neutral position. Reduce RPM by 10% or below 5500 RPM and continue
climbing at 70 kts (130 km/h).
Adjust the trim to neutralize the stick force if necessary.
Remember to keep the temperatures and RPM within operational limits during climb out.
CAUTION! Reduce power and lower the nose to increase speed in order to cool the engine
down if necessary.
Should you be climbing for a cross-country flight, consider climbing at 100 kts (185 km/h) as this will
greatly increase your overall travelling speed.
Reaching cruise altitude, establish horizontal flight and set engine power to cruise (5300 RPM).
Cruise
When horizontal flight has been established, verify on-board fuel quantity again.
Keep the aircraft balanced while maintaining desired flight parameters.
Should you desire to cruise at low speed (up to 80 kts (150 km/h)), set flaps to neutral position other-
wise flaps should be set to negative position (flap handle full down).
Check engine operation and flight parameters regularly! Recommended cruise is at 5300 RPM, with a
fuel burn of 3.3 US gal per hour.
CAUTION! It is not recommended to fly the aircraft at speeds exceeding 80 kts (150 km/h) using
flap setting other than negative.
Flying in cruise, check fuel levels as well. Because of the fuel system design, the fuel tends to gradu-
ally cross-flow from the right tank to the left. To prevent this, shut the right fuel valve and open it
again when the fuel level inside left tank has lowered.
CAUTION! If the fuel quantity in a fuel tank is low, it is possible that the engine starts to suck
air into the fuel system. To prevent this and consequent engine failure, always close the fuel valve
of the tank where the fuel quantity is very low.
CAUTION! In rough air, reduce engine power if necessary to keep airspeed below VRA.
CAUTION! During the descent engine power MUST be reduced. Should you be forced to
descend at idle power, make sure you keep adding throttle for short periods of time, not to turn
the spark plugs dirty.
CAUTION! With flaps in 2nd position only half way of the available deflection is permitted.
On final, set flaps to 2nd position.
Align with the runway and reduce power to idle.
Extend airbrakes (if applicable) and maintain an airspeed of 55 kts (102 km/h).
Instead of throttle use airbrakes (if applicable ) to control your descent glide path, otherwise control
your attitude and crab if necessary.
CAUTION! Crosswind landings require higher final approach speeds to ensure aircraft’s safe
manoeuvrability. Increase the approach speed by 1 kts for every 1 kts of crosswind component
e.g. in case of 5 kts crosswind component, increase the approach speed by 5 kts.
CAUTION! Land the aircraft in such a manner that the two main wheels touch the ground first,
allow the nose-wheel touchdown only after speed has been reduced below 25 kts. When lower-
ing the nose wheel to the runway, rudder MUST NOT be deflected in any direction (rudder pedals
centred).
When on ground, start braking action holding the control stick in full back position. Steer the aircraft
using brakes and rudder only. Provided the runway length is sufficient, come to a complete standstill
without engaging the brakes holding the control stick slightly backwards as you decelerate.
WARNING! After touchdown, DO NOT retract airbrakes immediately, as this causes sudden
lift increase and the aircraft may rebound off the ground. Should this occur, hold the elevator
steady; under no circumstances attempt to follow aircraft’s movement with elevator movements,
for Sinus 912 LSA tends to stabilize rebounding by itself. However, it is important to maintain
runway heading using the rudder at all times. Retract air brakes only after the aircraft has come
to a complete standstill.
CAUTION! Should you be performing the touch-and-go manoeuvre, retract air brakes care-
fully before re-applying full power.
Performing a crosswind landing, the wing-low method should be used. When using the wing-low
method it is necessary to gradually increase the deflection of the rudder and aileron to maintain the
proper amount of drift correction.
WARNING! If the crab method of drift correction has been used throughout the final ap-
proach and roundout, the crab must be recovered the before touchdown by applying rudder to
align the aircraft’s longitudinal axis with its direction of movement.
Parking
Come to a complete standstill by engaging brakes. Re-check RPM drop by switching ignition OFF
and back ON, one by one. Leave the engine running at idle RPM for a minute in order to cool it down.
Set master switch and ignition switches OFF.
Unlock air brakes (handle hanging down freely) and insert parachute rescue system handle’s safety
pin (if rescue system installed). Apply parking brake, if fitted. Open cabin door, unfasten safety har-
nesses and exit the cockpit (watch for the wheel fairings!). Block the wheels and secure the pitot
tube by putting on a protection cover.
Fit the tubes onto fuel tank vents so that fuel will not spill onto the wing in event of full fuel tanks,
temperature expansion of fuel and/or parking on a slope. It is recommended to shut both fuel tank
valves.
CAUTION! Should the aircraft be parked on a slope it is recommended to shut one of the fuel
valves to prevent overflowing of the adjacent fuel tank.
Upon restart, should the engine cool down during unpowered flight, apply choke. Always start the
engine at idle throttle.
CAUTION! Do not add full power while the engine is still cool. Fly at lower airspeeds at low
power engine setting to warm it up instead (e.g. 50 kts (90 km/h) at 3000 RPM).
5 Performance
Introduction (5-2)
Airspeed indicator
calibration (5-2)
Cruise (5-5)
Descent (5-5)
Crosswind takeoffs/land-
ings (5-6)
Introduction
This section provides information on aircraft’s airspeed calibration, stall speeds and general perfor-
mance. All data published was obtained from test flight analysis using average flying skills.
Sinus 912 LSA 80/100 has demonstrated adequate engine cooling performance at ambient tempera-
tures of 38 Celsius / 100°F. This is not to be regarded as the limit temperature, however temperatures
higher than the mentioned may have adverse effects on engine cooling and overall performance.
Stall speeds
Stall speeds at MTOM (1210 lbs, 550 kg) for all models of Sinus 912 LSA are as follows:
Take-off performance
All data published in this section was obtained under following conditions:
aircraft at MTOM
elevation: sea level
wind: calm
runway: hard runway
Data extrapolated for ICAO standard atmosphere
Notes
In order to meet the data for takeoff runway length over 50 m obstacle maintain Vx after
take-off.
Soft (grass) runways increase the published take-off performance data by 20%.
Takeoff runway length may vary depending on the wind, temperature, elevation and
wing & propeller surface condition.
Effect of elevation
The table below provides data about the effect of elevation on takeoff runway length.
WARNING: If the outside temperature is higher than 15°C / 59°F it is mandatory to consider
the takeoff runway length prolongs as follows: L = 1.10 • (Lh + Lt - L0).
Headwind on takeoff and landing causes the Takeoff and Landing runway length to shorten as the
GS is smaller during these two flight stages. The opposite stands for tailwind on takeoff and landing
as tailwind prolongs Takeoff and Landing runway length significantly.
The data on the next page was obtained through testing and therefore serve as informative values
only.
Headwind shortens takeoff and landing runway length by 25 feet (8 meters) with every 3 kts
(5 km/h) of wind increase (e.g. provided there is a 6 kts (10 km/h) headwind on takeoff and landing,
distances will be approximately 50 ft meters (16 meters) shorter than ones published in the manual).
Tailwind prolongs takeoff and landing runway length by 60-65 feet (18-20 meters) with every 3 kts
(5 km/h) wind increase (e.g. provided there is a 6 kts (10 km/h) tailwind on takeoff or landing, dis-
tances will be approximately 120-130 feet (36-40 meters) longer then ones published in the manual).
WARNING! Tailwind affects takeoff and landing performance by more than twice as much as
headwind does.
The table below provides data about the effect of headwind (+) and tailwind (-) on takeoff runway
length (referenced for sea level conditions, airplane at MTOM).
windspeed (kts) -6 -4 -2 0 4 8 12
Takeoff runway length [ft (m)]
912 LSA 560 (170) 520 (158) 475 (144) 430 (132) 400 (122) 360 (110) 330 (100)
Climb performance
Sinus 912 LSA 912 LSA
best climb speed 62 kts (115 km/h)
best climb rate at MTOM 1080 fpm (5.4 m/s)
climb rate at 100 kts (185 km/h) 680 fpm (3.4 m/s)
Effect of altitude
The table below provides data about the effect of elevation on climb rate at best climb speed Vy at
MTOM
Note: climb rate is measured at max continuous power (5500 RPM) of the engine with flap in
neutral position (0 degrees).
Climb performance may vary depending on, temperature, altitude, humidity and wing &
propeller surface condition.
Cruise
Aircraft at MTOM, recommended cruise power of 5300 RPM at 15°C / 59°F at sea level altitude, flaps
set to negative position (-5 degrees):
Best economy cruising level is 7500 ft . There, cruise performance is equivalent or better than above
due to IAS-TAS relation, but fuel consumption is lower.
At these parameters the fuel burn is 2.9 US gal (11.2l) per hour. For detailed fuel consumption deter-
mination for various cruising regimes consult the Rotax 912 UL Operators manual.
Descent
Typical sink rate, with flaps set to 2nd position and airbrakes fully extended, measures 880 fpm
(4.4 m/h) at 50 kts (92 km/h) and 1160 fpm (5.8 m/s) at 60 kts (110 km/h).
The glide
The glide is defined as unpowered wings-level flight at speed providing best lift over drag ratio
or minimum sink rate.
Should the engine become inoperative in flight, as a result of either intended or unintended actions,
and it cannot be restarted, react as follows:
establish wings-level flight at the speed providing best lift over drag ratio, if you desire to glide
the greatest distance from a given altitude.
establish wings-level flight at speed providing minimum sink rate, if you desire do stay airborne
for the longest time. This may come in handy in case you will be forced to give way to other aircraft
or if you simply need time to determine the most appropriate site to land on.
CAUTION: If the engine fails, especially in climb, the aircraft always loses some 30 meters (100
feet) of altitude before reaching best glide speed in wings-level unpowered flight.
m/s fpm
30
-1 -200
25
-3 -600
20
L/D ratio
-5 -1000
sink rate
sink rate
15 L/D ratio
-7 -1400
10 -9 -1800
5 -11 -2200
60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220
70 90 110 130 150 170 190 210 225
EAS (km/h)
Landing performance
Final approach speed should always be 55 kts (102 km/h) with full flaps, regardless of the approach-
ing with zero or full airbrakes. Landing runway length may also vary depending on the elevation,
gross weight, touchdown velocity, wind direction and how aggressive the braking action is.
In following conditions: aircraft at MTOM, airport at sea level, wind calm; the landing roll measures
410 feet (125 meters). Should you be flying solo, the length shortens by another 30 feet (10 meters).
WARNING! Runway size must be in excess of 820 x 65 feet with no obstacles in 4° range off
runway heading in order ensure safe flying activity. Use of shorter airstrips should be considered
a major exception and is allowed for experienced pilots at their own risk only.
Crosswind takeoffs/landings
Maximum allowed crosswind speed on takeoff and landing with flaps in 2nd position is 15 kts. The
runway length required is increased by 10 % for every 5 kts of crosswind component.
Determination of CG (6-3)
Introduction
This section describes the procedure for establishing the basic empty weight and moment of the air-
plane. Sample calculations are provided for reference. For additional information regarding Weight
and Balance procedures, refer to the Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook (FAA-H-8083-1). Specific
information regarding the weight and arm for this airplane as delivered from the factory can be
found in the aircraft documentation folder, look for Weight and Balance Report.
WARNING! It is the responsibility of the pilot to make sure the airplane is loaded properly.
Operation outside of prescribed weight and balance limitations could result in an accident and
serious or fatal injury.
Weighing procedure
Make sure all listed aircraft parts and appliances are installed and in position.
Remove all other objects (e.g. tools, mops, tie downs and other things ...).
Empty fuel tanks except for the unusable fuel, inflate tires to recommended operating pressures.
Fill up engine oil to the top marking.
Retract flaps and airbrakes (optional), leave control surfaces centred.
Level the aircraft inside a closed space - use the provided airfoil template at lower side of the wing
close to the wing root and make sure its straight edge is level (horizontal).
Once leveled, read the scale readings and subtract eventual tare weight.
Now record all readings and fill out the bottom table.
Datum is wing’s leading edge at wing root. Calculate the lever arm of CG using this formula:
Weighing form
Weighing point and symbol Scale reading Tare Nett
right main wheel (GD)
left main wheel (GL)
nose wheel (G2)
total (G = GD + GL +G2)
Equipment list
Aircraft’s empty weight data is unique for each and every Sinus 912 LSA delivered. The owner is re-
sponsible for keeping the equipment list up to date
Serial number:
Registration number:
Installed equipment:
Determination of CG
Weight’s lever Moment
Weight (lbs) Remarks
arm (inch) (in x lb)
Basic cfg. empty weight
Baggage 46
Instruments - 12.5 minus!!!
Pilots 10.2
Fuel 4
CAUTION! Each newly installed part or appliance must be registered in the upper table. Also,
new total weight and lever arm of CG values must be entered and position of CG re-determined.
Furthermore, the moment must be recalculated. This is rather unchallenging to do. First multiply
the new part’s weight by it’s lever arm measured from the reference point (wing’s leading edge).
Then sum up all momentums and divide the sum by the new total weight.
WARNING! Aircraft's safe center of gravity position ranges between 9.5'' and 16.0'' aft of da-
tum and is not critically affected by cockpit crew weight or weight of fuel on board in any way.
WARNING! Absolute safe measure for the amount of luggage is 55 lbs. The actual amount
of luggage you can safely transport depends on the centre of gravity of empty aircraft. See next
pages.
Guidelines
Gtotal is the total mass of empty aircraft. All calculations can be performed with aircraft empty
weight and empty weight centre of gravity (c.g.), as the pilots sits directly below the centre of gravity
and do not cause the c.g. to shift. The amount of fuel quantity also has no impact on the c.g..
WARNING! Both pilots’ weight and weight of fuel do not influence c.g. or their influence is
insignificant. However, baggage can influence the c.g. severely and may cause the aircraft to
become uncontrollable!
First, weigh the aircraft according to the procedure described in this chapter and write down values
of G1 (sum of scale readings at main wheels) and G2 (scale reading at tail/front wheel). Then calcu-
late the position of c.g. in millimeters (mm) from the datum (wing’s leading edge at wing root).
Second, determine the c.g. position in percentage (%) of Mean Aerodynamic Chord (MAC) with fol-
lowing the formula:
Baggage and CG
The amount of baggage you can carry in the solid baggage compartment or in the baggage pouch
behind the seats is limited by the centre of gravity of the empty aircraft (pilots’ and fuel weight do
not influence c.g.) and the MTOM.
To calculate how much the c.g. shifts because of added baggage into the solid baggage compart-
ment or the baggage pouch behind the seats use the following formula:
We now have the data of c.g. of the sample aircraft with 22 lbs (10 kgs) of baggage. You can recalcu-
late the formulas using the weights and c.g. of your empty aircraft and the planned amount of bag-
gage for your flight.
CAUTION: The baggage weight limitations in this manual represent fool-proof limits for safe
operation, even without special c.g. calculation. However, the actual baggage weight limitation
is different of each individual aircraft and can be determined using the above formulas. The deci-
sion of how much baggage to carry on a flight is at pure responsibility of the pilot in command!
WARNING! Always make sure that the baggage is placed fixed inside the baggage area.
Movements of baggage in-flight will cause shifts of centre of gravity!
WARNING! Do not, under any circumstances attempt to fly the aircraft outside the allow-
able c.g. limits! Allowable c.g. range is between 9.5’' and 16.0'', measured from the wing's leading
edge backwards which corresponds to 20% - 39% MAC)
WARNING! Maximum takeoff weight (MTOM) MUST NOT, under any circumstances, exceed
1210 lbs (550 kg).
Undercarriage (7-6)
Introduction
Sinus 912 LSA is a 49 ft (14.97 m) wingspan,
two-seat T-tail motorglider made almost en- Refuelling can be done by pouring fuel
tirely of composite materials. Its low-drag, through the fuel tank openings on top of the
high-wing-monoplane, engine-at-the-front wings or by using an electrical fuel pump.
construction makes it efficient even when fly- All glass surfaces are made of 2 mm anti UV GE
ing unpowered. In fact, the propeller can be tinted Lexan, which was specially developed
feathered to reduce drag even more. not to shatter or split on impact.
The undercarriage is a tricycle type with two Main wheel brakes are hydraulically driven disc
main, brake equipped, wheels mounted on type. The hydraulic brake fluid used is DOT 3 or
struts and a steerable nose wheel. DOT 4.
Sinus 912 LSA features flaperons, interconnect- Cabin ventilation is achieved through special
ed flaps and ailerons presented in the same vents fitted onto glass doors, cabin heating,
deflecting surface. Flaps offer 4 settings: neu- however, is provided utilizing hot air from the
tral, 1st, 2nd and the negative (reflex) position engine.
Full dual main flight control levers make Sinus To enhance aerodynamics even more, every
912 LSA ideal for initial as well as for advanced Sinus 912 LSA comes equipped with special
flight training. All aileron, elevator and flap wheel fairings and the propeller spinner. The
controls are connected to the cabin controls propeller is a ground adjustable composite
using self-fitting push-pull tubes. Rudder is two blade design.
controlled via cables. The elevator trim is me- The electric circuit enables the pilot to test
chanical, spring type. individual circuit items and to disconnect the
Airbrakes are available as standard, they re- entire wiring but leave the engine running,
duce the requirements for runways size for should there come to a distress situation.
landing and provide for steeper approaches Navigational (NAV), anti collision (AC) and
and expedite descents. landing (LDG) lights are an option.
All aircraft ship with H type safety belt at- The firewall is reinforced by heat and noise in-
tached to the fuselage at three mounting sulation.
points. Rudder and brake pedals can be ad- Basic instruments come installed with opera-
justed also during flight to suit your size and tional limits pre-designated, advanced avionics
needs. in form of EFIS glass cockpits etc. are an option.
Fuel tanks are located inside the wings. Fuel Parachute rescue system is an option.
selector is in the form of two separate valves, Optional is the also the side access door to the
located on the left and right upper wall of the cargo compartment behind the seats.
cabin. The gascolator is located beneath the
lower engine cover.
fabric: GG160, GG200, 90070, 92110, 92120, 91125, 92140, 92145, KHW200
roving: NF24
foam: 75 kg/m3 PVC 3mm, PVC 5 mm, PVC 8mm
GFK: 3 mm, 5 mm, 7 mm of thickness
paint: acrylic paint
firewall glass-aluminium sandwich
All composite parts are made of glass, carbon and kevlar fiber manufactured by Interglas GmbH.
Cockpit levers
Sinus 912 LSA’s cockpit levers are divided into two groups:
Individual control levers: pilot stick and rudder with differential brake levers
Joint control levers: throttle lever, chock lever, flap lever, trim lever, airbrakes lever (if applicable),
fuel valves, door handles, battery disconnection lever/ring and emergency parachute release handle.
Instrument panel
Small instrument panel (left) with Brauniger as the middle screen - Large instrument panel with two
screen setup (Dynon D100 and EMS 120). Both are for illustration purpose only!
There are two types of instrument panels, the big and small version, both equipped with the
Brauniger Alpha MFD as the standard multifunction instrument. Factory approved options are a
single Dynon D180 EFIS/EMS as the main instrument or dual screen efis setup with Dynon D100 and
EMS120. All instruments have flight data recording capabilities and display all necessary flight and
engine data to the pilot. Since 2010 Dynon Skyview SV-700 (single and dual screen) and SV-1000
(single screen) are an option. When a GPS unit is factory fitted the GPS data is transmitted to the
glass cockpit instrument via a cable and a NMEA protocol. For additional information consult indi-
vidual operators manuals for the instruments installed.
The cockpit electrical switch panel has separate magneto- master switch and starter switch.
The toggle switches used in the main sector have integrated automatic thermal circuit breakers.
Undercarriage
The undercarriage is a tricycle type with two main, brake equipped, wheels mounted on struts and a
steerable nose wheel. The nose wheel steers through rudder pedals
Beringer high performance brakes with the parking brake is optional equipment. To apply the park-
ing brake, depress the pedal brake levers, hold them engaged and pull the parking brake lever (on
the side of the instrument column in front of the control stick). Then release the pedal brake levers.
To disengage, push the parking brake levers to full forward position.
Pitot-Static tubes
The pitot tube is attached to the bottom side of the right-hand wing. Pitot lines made of plastic
materials lead through the inside of the wing all the way to the instrument panel. Pitot heat and an
AOA-indication pitot are optional
Air brakes
Air brakes are most commonly used to increase drag and steepen the final approach. They are stan-
dard equipment on the Sinus 912 LSA. Airbrakes make the total landing distance equivalent to the
total take-off distance, enabling you to use STOL runways for your operations.
During takeoff, climb and cruise air brakes MUST be retracted and locked (handle in cockpit in full up
position). To unlock and extend air brakes, press on the release lever and pull the handle downwards
Power plant
Sinus 912 LSA is equipped with Rotax 912 UL 80 HP engine
Engine description:
Engine: ROTAX 912 UL 80 HP (4-stroke boxer, four cylinders, 1211 cm3)
twin carburated - dual electronic ignition
cooling: crank case aircooled, cylinder heads watercooled - own radiator and
pump, other moving parts oilcooled - own radiator and pump
lubrication: centrally oiled - own oil pump and radiator
reduction gearbox: integrated
reduction ratio: 1 : 2.27
el. generator output power: 250 W at 5500 RPM
starter: electric
engine power: 80 HP at 5800 RPM
battery: 12 V, 10 Ah
All metal cables used are fire resistant, kept inside metal, self-lubricating flexible tubes.
Choke Throttle
2130mm/2280mm 1600mm/1670mm
Choke
Choke
Throttle
Throttle
410mm/620mm
420/800mm
1200mm/970mm
1200mm/1400mm
Propeller types:
propeller Pipistrel twin blade, ground adjustable or Vario composite propeller
F2-80 (for Rotax 912 UL 80 HP): - diameter 63’’ / 1620 mm
Depending on the configuration, the propeller may be ground adjustable or featherable. In the lat-
ter case the propeller can be feathered when the engine is not running. No specific limitations apply,
apart from checking the propeller pitch travel during the preflight inspection. Do not attempt to re-
start the engine in flight above 50 kts.
Fuel system
description: vented wing fuel tanks with refuelling cap on top of the wings
fuel selector valves: separated, one for each fuel tank
gascolator: filter equipped with drain valve
fuel capacity std. tanks: 7.25 + 7.25 US gal (30+30 L)
fuel capacity lng. range: 13 + 13 US gal (50 + 50 L)
unusable fuel (per reservoir): 0.75 US gal (3 L)
fuel filter: inside the gascolator
All fuel hoses are protected with certified glass-teflon covers. Sinus 912 LSA’s fuel system features
fuel return circuit. The fuel connectors from fuselage to the wing tanks can be either fixed or click-on
fast type.
WARNING! Visual fuel quantity indicator (tubes) in cockpit do not always provide relevant
information about the actual fuel quantity on board. Because of wing dihedral, angle of attack,
sideslip and reservoir supply point the readout may be incorrect. Flying with less than 1.5 Inch
(30 mm) (see red marking!) of indicated fuel (measured from the bottom of the tube upwards in
any of the reservoirs) is therefore regarded as hazardous any may result in engine fuel starvation
and/or engine failure.
CAUTION! Due to the position of the fuel reservoir supply point, flying in considerable sideslip
for a long time may result in fuel starvation to the engine if the fuel tank in the opposite direc-
tion of the sideslip is closed. Should this occur, righten the flight and re-open the fuel tank in
question immediately to prevent engine failure.
Draining of water and/or particles is carried out by draining the contents of the gascolator, installed
below the bottom engine cover and reachable through a dedicated placarded opening. Unscrew the
discharge valve and drain at least 1 cup of fuel in a transparent canister, verify for water/particle con-
tamination. Always fasten the draining valve before flight!
When using the single point fuel valve, found below the cowl opening (placarded), make sure you
have closed it before flight. The single point fuel valve can either be used for fuelling the aircraft by
using a pump and container, or for discharging all of the fuel on board before disassembling the
aeroplane.
Electrical system
description: Dual electronic ignition. Standard, 12 V circuit charges the battery and
provides power to all appliances and instruments.
master switch: key type
avionics switch: avionics active with key position II
ignition switches: separated for each system
other switches: fused and equipped with control lights
battery: 12 V, 10 Ah
measured power Landing light: 4.5 A,
consumption of some Nav/Strobe lights: 1 (steady) - 2 (peak) A , Cockpit light: 0.5 A,
circuit breakers: Radio & Transponder, EFIS, autopilots:
Please consult item’s operating manual
Characteristic are separate magneto switches in form two toggle switches and a key-type three
stage master switch, which also operated as the avionics switch. Therewith are individual fused rock-
er switches used to control individual electrical loads (radio, transponder, lights, efis, ems, autopilot,
etc.).
The only electrical load which can be used without the master switch in either ALL ON or ENGINE
only position is the 12 V plug, all other loads function only when the master (key) is in the ALL ON
position.
The position I (ENGINE ONLY) is there to provide continuous operation of the engine in case of emer-
gency, where all other electrical load (12 V plug is the exception) are disengaged.
Pitot heat
Pitot heat is available in combination with the AOA sensing pitot tube. It is the single most powerful
electrical load in the system, consuming more than 100 Watts of power. When activating the pitot
heat (toggle switch on the main electrical panel), monitor system voltage (and or current) to make
sure the battery is not being discharged due to prolonged use of large electrical loads in combina-
tion with the pitot heat, both on ground and in flight.
The engine does not feature a cooling fan, therefore cooling is entirely dependant on moving air cur-
rents and airspeed.
CAUTION! You are strongly discouraged from leaving the engine running at idle power when
on ground.
The manufacturer recommends use of cooling fluids used in car industry diluted in such a manner
that it withstands temperatures as low as - 20°C/-4°F.
CAUTION! Oil temperature, pressure and quality is strictly defined an must not, under any cir-
cumstances, vary from its safe values.
Connecting Auxiliary
power supplies (8-3)
Cleaning (8-4)
Special inspections
After having exceeded VNE or landed in a rough manner:
Check the undercarriage, fuselage & wing surfaces and main spars for abnormalities. It is highly
recommended to have the aircraft verified for airworthiness by authorised service personnel.
CAUTION! Always drain the fuel system before you have moved the aircraft from a standstill to
prevent mixing of the fuel and eventual water or particles.
Refuelling
CAUTION! Before refuelling it is necessary to ground the aircraft!
Refuelling can be done by pouring fuel through the fuel tank openings on top of the wings or by us-
ing the single point fueling valve on the lower firewall.
Should you be experiencing slow refuelling with the electrical fuel pump, you should replace the fil-
ter. You can use any fuel filter for this application.
It is recommended to use additional plastic tubes attached to the fuel tank vents and leading to the
ground in order to avoid over-spills of fuel onto the airframe when filling the tanks completely
CAUTION! Use authorised plastic containers to transport and store fuel only! Metal canisters
cause for water to condensate on the inside, which may later result in engine failure.
Top-left nipple (c. positive (+) wire here) Exhaust (connect negative (-) wire here)
To connect an auxiliary power supply use battery connector cables with clamps at either ends.
Connect the negative (-) wire to aircraft’s exhaust (sticking out below the engine cowlings).
The positive (+) wire leads inside the cockpit to the relay mounted top-right of the aircraft’s battery
on the firewall. This relay has 3 nipples; the positive (+) wire must be connected to the upper-left
nipple, the only one to which 2 cables are connected to.
After you have connected the wires correctly, start the engine normally by pressing the starter but-
ton in the cockpit.
WARNING! The pilot must be in cockpit when starting the engine. The person who will
disconnect the cables after the engine has started must be aware of the danger of spinning
propeller nearby.
Tie down
Point the aircraft into the wind and retract flaps fully. Chock all three wheels. Remove the caps cover-
ing mounting holes on the bottom part of the wing (located 15 ft from the fuselage) and carefully
screw in the two screw-in rings provided.
Secure tie-down ropes to the wing tie-down rings at an approximately 45-degree angle to the
ground. When using rope of a non-synthetic material, leave sufficient slack to avoid damage to the
aircraft, should the ropes contract. To tie down the tail, tie a rope through the tail skid and secure it
to the ground. At the end, cover the pitot tube with a protection cover.
Mechanical towing is prohibited at all times.
Storage
The aircraft is ideally stored in a hangar. For increased in-hangar maneuverability use of original
push-cart is recommended.
Even for over-night storage it is recommended to leave the airbrakes handle unlocked - hanging
down freely in order to reduce pressure on plate springs and maintain their original stiffness.
If a parachute rescue system is installed in your aircraft, make sure the activation handle safety pin is
inserted every time you leave the aircraft.
Apply the tubes onto fuel tank vents so that fuel will not spill onto the wing in event of full fuel
tanks, temperature expansion of fuel and/or parking on a slope.
Also, disconnect the battery from the circuit to prevent battery self-discharge (pull battery discon-
nection ring on the instrument panel’s switch column) during storage period.
CAUTION! Should the aircraft be stored and/or operated in areas with high atmospheric hu-
midity pay special attention to corrosion of metal parts, especially inside the wings. Under such
circumstances it is necessary to replace the airbrakes connector rod every 2 years.
Cleaning
Use fresh water and a soft piece of cloth to clean the aircraft’s exterior. If you are unable to remove
certain spots, consider using mild detergents. Afterwards, rinse the entire surface thoroughly.
Lexan glass surfaces are protected by an anti-scratch layer on the outside and an anti-fog coating on
the inside of the cabin. Always use fresh water only to clean the glass surfaces, not to damage these
protection layers and coatings.
To protect the aircraft’s surface (excluding glass surfaces) from the environmental contaminants,
use best affordable car wax.
The interior is to be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner.
2) If you must use an organic solvent (acetone) on small areas remove certain glue leftovers or simi-
lar, the surface in question MUST be polished thereafter. The only section where polishing should be
avoided is the edge on the wing where the sealing gasket is applied.
3) When flying in regions with a lot of bugs in the air, you should protect the leading edges of the
airframe before flight (propeller, wings, tail) with Antistatic furniture spray cleaner: “Pronto (transpar-
ent), manufacturer: Johnson Wax (or anything equivalent) – Worldwide”, approximate price is only $3
USD / €3 EUR for a 300 ml spray bottle. Using such spray, do not apply it directly onto the wing but
into a soft cloth instead (old T-shirts are best).
4) After having finished with flight activity for the day, clean the leading edges of the airframe as
soon as possible with a lot of water and a drying towel (chamois, artificial leather skin). This will be
very easy to do if you applied a coat of Pronto before flight.
When using the aircraft in difficult atmospheric conditions (intense sunshine, dusty winds, coastline,
acid rains etc.) make sure to clean the outer surface more thoroughly.
If you notice you cannot remove the bug-spots from the leading edges of the aircraft, this means the
lacquer is not protected any more, therefore it is necessary to polish these surfaces.
CAUTION! Do not, under any circumstances attempt to remove such bug-spots with abrasive
sponges and/or rough polishing pastes.
Always rinse the shampooed surfaces again before they become dry! Thereafter, wipe the whole of
the aircraft dry using a drying towel, chamois or artificial leather skin.
Also, clean the Mylar seals on the wing and tail control surfaces. Lift the seals gently and insert ONE
layer of cloth underneath, then move along the whole span of the seal. Ultimately, you may wish to
apply Teflon grease (in spray) over the area where the seal touch the control surfaces.
Polishing by hand
Use only the highest quality polishing compounds WITHOUT abrasive grain, such as Sonax Extreme
or similar. Start polishing on a clean, dry and cool surface, never in the sunshine!
Machine polishing requires more skills and has its own particularities, therefore it is recommended
to leave it to a professional.
9 Appendix
Parachute rescue system:
use, Handling and
servicing (9-1)
WARNING! Activation handle safety pin should be inserted when the aircraft is parked or
hangared to prevent accidental deployment. However, the instant pilot boards the aircraft, safety
pin MUST be removed!
• mid-air collision
Once you have pulled the handle and the rocked is deployed, it will be about two seconds before
you feel the impact produced by two forces. The first force is produced by stretching of all the sys-
tem. The second force follows after the inflation of the canopy from opening impact and it will seem
to you that the aircraft is pulled backwards briefly. The airspeed is reduced instantly and the aircraft
now starts to descent underneath the canopy.
As a pilot you should know that the phase following parachute deployment may be a great un-
known and a great adventure for the crew. You will be getting into a situation for the first time,
where a proper landing and the determination of the landing site are out of your control.
CAUTION! Should you end up in power lines (carrying electrical current), DO NOT under any
circumstances touch any metal parts inside or outside the cockpit. This also applies to anyone
attempting to help or rescue you. Be aware that anyone touching any part of the aircraft while
standing on the ground will probably suffer mayor injury or die of electrocution. Therefore, you
are strongly encouraged to confine your movements until qualified rescue personal arrives at the
site to assist you.
After the parachute rescue system has been used or if you suspect any possible damage to the sys-
tem, do not hesitate and immediately contact the manufacturer!
CAUTION! It is strongly recommenced to thoroughly inspect and grease the activation han-
dle, preferably using silicon spray, every 50 flight hours.
Pilots flew their machines at reasonably high altitudes but at very high speeds. One of them de-
ployed airbrakes (spoilers) at the speed of 285 km/h (155 kts) - where the VNE of the aircraft is 225 km/h
(122 kts), the other was flying at 3000 m (10.000 ft) at 270 km/h (145 kts) IAS - where the VNE of the air-
craft was 250 km/h (135 kts).
They both encountered severe vibrations caused by flutter. Because of this one aircraft’s fuselage
was shredded and broken in half just behind the cabin (the craw saw saved thanks to the parachute
rescue system), other suffered inferior damage as only the flaperon control tubes went broken. The
pilot of the second machine then landed safely using elevator and rudder only. Fortunately both pi-
lots survived the accident without being even slightly injured.
Thanks to the Brauniger ALPHA MFD’s integrated Flight Data Recorder, we were able to reconstruct
the flights and reveal what had really happened.
What was the reason for the flutter causing both accidents?
Both pilots greatly exceeded speed which should never be exceeded, the VNE.
With the IAS to TAS correction factor taken into consideration, they were both flying
faster than 315 km/h (170 kts)!
You might say: “Why did they not keep their speed within safe limits? How could they be so thought-
less to afford themselves exceeding the VNE?” Speaking with the two pilots they both confessed
they went over the line unawarely. “All just happened so suddenly!” was what they both said.
Therefore it is of vital importance to be familiar to all factors that might influence your flying to the
point of unawarely exceeding the VNE.
To determine the speed you are travelling at, you usually rely on two senses – the ear and the eye.
The faster the objects around are passing by, the faster you are travelling. True.
The stronger the noise caused by air circulating the airframe, the faster the airspeed. True again.
But let us confine ourselves to both events’ scenarios.
At higher altitudes, human eye loses it’s ability to determine the speed of movement precisely.
Because of that pilots, who are flying high up feel like they are flying terribly slow.
At high speeds the air circulating the airframe should cause tremendous noise. Wrong!
In fact the noise is caused by drag. Modern aircraft like Sinus and Sinus, manufactured of com-
posite materials, have so little drag, that they actually sound quieter than you would expect.
Especially if you are used to wearing a headset when flying you must not rely on your ear as the
instrument for determining speed.
REMEMBER! When flying high the only reliable tool to determine airspeed
is the cockpit instrument - the airspeed indicator!
IAS: stands for Indicated Air Speed. This is the speed the airspeed indicator reads.
CAS: stands for Calibrated Air Speed. This is IAS corrected by the factor of aircraft’s attitude. No pi-
tot tube (device to measure pressure used to indicate airspeed) is positioned exactly parallel to the
airflow, therefore the input speed – IAS – must be corrected to obtain proper airspeed readings. With
Sinus and Sinus, IAS to CAS correction factors range from 1,00 to 1,04.
TAS: stands for True Airspeed. TAS is often regarded as the speed of air to which the aircraft’s air-
frame is exposed. To obtain TAS you must have CAS as the input value and correct it by pressure alti-
tude, temperature and air density variations.
The maximum structural speed is linked to IAS. But light planes, manufactured of carbon reinforced
plastics, with long, slick wings are more prone to flutter at high speeds than to structural failure.
So flutter is the main factor of determining VNE for us and most other carbon-reinforced-plastic
aircraft producers. Flutter speed is linked to TAS, as it is directly caused by small differences in
speed of air circulating the airframe. Hence air density is not a factor. For all who still doubt this, here
are two quotes from distinguished sources on flutter being related to TAS:
“Suffice to say that flutter relates to true airspeed (TAS) rather than equivalent air-
speed (EAS), so aircraft that are operated at or beyond their VNE at altitude - where
TAS increases for a given EAS – are more susceptible to flutter...”
New Zealand CAA’ Vector Magazine (full passage at page 5 of http://www.caa.govt.nz/fulltext/vector/vec01-4.pdf )
“The critical flutter speed depends on TAS, air density, and critical mach number. The air
density factor is almost canceled out by the TAS factor; and most of us won’t fly fast
enough for mach number to be a factor. So TAS is what a pilot must be aware of!”
Bob Cook, Flight Safety International
The airspeed indicator shows you the IAS, but this is sadly NOT the speed of air to which the
aircraft’s airframe is exposed.
IAS and TAS are almost the same at sea level but can greatly differ as the altitude increases. So
flying at high altitudes, where the air is thinner, results in misinterpreting airspeed which is being in-
dicated. The indicated airspeed value may actually be pretty much lower than speed of air to which
the aircraft is exposed, the TAS.
So is VNE regarded as IAS or TAS? It is in fact regarded as TAS above 4000m/13100 ft!!! You
should be aware of that so that you will not exceed VNE like the two pilots mentioned have.
The table below indicates how fast you may fly at a certain altitude to maintain
constant True Air Speed (TAS).
TAS [km/h (kts)] IAS [km/h (kts)] TAS [km/h (kts)] IAS [km/h (kts)]
1000 m 3300 ft 250 (135) 237 (128) 270 (145) 256 (138)
2000 m 6500 ft 250 (135) 226 (122) 270 (145) 246 (133)
3000 m 10000 ft 250 (135) 217 (117) 270 (145) 235 (126)
4000 m 13000 ft 250 (135) 206 (111) 270 (145) 226 (121)
5000 m 16500 ft 250 (135) 195 (105) 270 (145) 217 (117)
6000 m 19700 ft 250 (135) 187 (101) 270 (145) 205 (110)
7000 m 23000 ft 250 (135) 178 (96) 270 (145) 196 (103)
8000 m 26300 ft 250 (135) 169 (91) 270 (145) 185 (98)
The table below indicates how TAS increases with altitude while keeping IAS constant.
IAS [km/h (kts)] TAS [km/h (kts)] IAS [km/h (kts)] TAS [km/h (kts)]
1000 m 3300 ft 250 (135) 266 (144) 270 (145) 289 (156)
2000 m 6500 ft 250 (135) 279 (151) 270 (145) 303 (164)
3000 m 10000 ft 250 (135) 290 (157) 270 (145) 316 (171)
4000 m 13000 ft 250 (135) 303 (164) 270 (145) 329 (178)
5000 m 16500 ft 250 (135) 317 (171) 270 (145) 345 (186)
6000 m 19700 ft 250 (135) 332 (179) 270 (145) 361 (195)
7000 m 23000 ft 250 (135) 349 (188) 270 (145) 379 (204)
8000 m 26300 ft 250 (135) 366 (198) 270 (145) 404 (218)
As you can see from the table above the differences between IAS and TAS are not so little and
MUST be respected at all times!
REMEMBER!
Keep that in mind every time you go flying. Pipistrel wishes you happy landings!
The wing structure in light planes is usually certified to take +3.8 G’s, -1.52 G’s (plus a certain safety
factor). Put more load on the wing than that and you should consider yourself dead.
But here is the nice part: Below a certain speed, the wing simply cannot put out a full 3.8 G’s of lift! It
will stall first! This speed is called Maneuvering Speed or Va.
Maneuvering Speed is defined as the maximum speed the plane can be flying at and still stall
before the wing breaks no matter how much you pull back on the stick. If you are going slower
than the Va and you pull the stick all the way back, the wing will stall without braking physically.
If you are going faster than the Va and you pull the stick all the way back, the wing can put out so
much lift that it can be expected to break. Therefore people think they can deflect the stick as much
as they desire below Maneuvering Speed and stay alive.
Wrong! The Maneuvering Speed is based on pulling back on the stick, not pushing it forward!
Note what was said above: The Va is defined as how fast you can fly and not be able to put out more
than 3.8 G’s of lift. But while the plane is certified for positive 3.8 G’s, it is only certified for a nega-
tive G-load of 1.52 G’s! In other words, you can fail the wing in the negative direction by pushing
forward on the stick well below the Va! Few pilots know this.
Also, for airliners, certification basis require that the rudder can be fully deflected below
Maneuvering Speed, but only if the plane is not in a sideslip of any kind! (e.g. crab method of ap-
proach) Does this make sense at all? Why would you need to fully deflect the rudder if not to
re-establish wings-level flight?
In a wonderfully-timed accident shortly after Sept. 11th, 2001 of which everybody thought might be
an act of terrorism, an Airbus pilot stomped the rudder in wake turbulence while the plane was in
a considerable sideslip. The combined loads of the sideslip and the deflected rudder took the
vertical stabilizer to it’s critical load. A very simple numerical analysis based on the black box con-
firmed this. The airplane lost it’s vertical stabilizer in flight and you know the rest.
Also, if you are at your maximum allowable g-limit (e.g. 3.8) and you deflect the ailerons even
slightly, you are actually asking for more lift from one wing than the allowable limit!
Therefore combined elevator and aileron deflections can break the plane, even if the elevator
is positive only!
SO, WHEN YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN DO AS YOU PLEASE WITH THE CONTROLS BELOW
MANEUVERING SPEED, YOU ARE WRONG!
Please reconsider this myth and also look at the Vg diagram and the aircraft’s limitations to prove it
to yourself.
Training/Familiarization Supplement
This chapter has been written to assist owners/pilots/instructors of Sinus 912 LSA on their quest to learn
how to safely and efficiently fly this aircraft in addition to the information already assembled in the rest
of this POH. This section will cover most operations the aircraft offers in an order established in section
Normal procedures and recommended speeds. Please consider what follows as an add-on to that chap-
ter.
Engine start-up
First and foremost make sure you have sufficient fuel quantity on board for the desired length of
flight. If you are not completely confident there is enough, step out of the aircraft and add more fuel
into the tanks. There is an old aviators’ saying: “The only time you have too much fuel is when you are on
fire.”
When engaging the engine starter, wheel brakes MUST be engaged. To keep your propeller in
perfect condition, avoid starting up on areas where there are small stones on the ground. Those little
stones can easily be picked up by the propellers causing damage to the blades.
Warming up must be conducted below 2500 RPM. When reaching safe operational engine tem-
peratures, verify maximum engine ground RPM. Hold the stick back completely and slowly(!) add
throttle to full power, then verify RPM.
Taxi
Taxiing with the Sinus 912 LSA is rather simple considering the steerable nose wheel. For sharper
turns on the ground you can also use wheel brakes to assist yourself. It is recommended you taxi
slow, up to 10 km/s (5 kts), while holding the stick back fully to ease the pressure of the nose wheel.
During taxiing monitor engine temperatures. Due to low airflow around the radiators the CHT and
Oil temperature will rise during long taxi periods. If you are holding position, do not leave throttle at
idle. It is better you have some 2500 RPM as this will provide some airflow from the propeller to the
radiators and the temperatures will not rise so quickly. Should you see engine temperatures exceed
safe operational values, shut off the engine, point the aircraft’s nose into the wind and wait for
the temperatures to reduce.
Start the take-off roll gradually. Keep adding throttle slowly and smoothly full power. There are two
reasons for this. First, you change flight stage from zero movement to acceleration slowly; this pro-
vides you with time to react to conditions. Second, especially if taking-off from a gravel runway, this
method of adding full throttle will prevent the little stones on the runway from damaging the pro-
peller. Extremely short runways are an exception. There you should line up the aircraft, set flaps to 2nd
stage, step on the brakes, apply full power and release the brakes.
As you start to move, pull the stick 1/3 of elevator’s deflection backwards to ease the pressure on
the nose wheel and lift it off the runway slightly. Do not use full back deflection as this will cause
the aircraft’s tail to touch the ground.
When the nose wheel has lifted off the ground, there is nothing else but to hold the same pitch
attitude and the aircraft will become airborne. Crosswind take-offs, depending on wind strength,
require a little bit of aileron deflection into the wind. Remember, wings must stay level throughout
ground-roll, rotation and initial climb!
Having lifted off the ground, gently push the stick forward just a bit to accelerate. At some 90
km/h (50 kts) set flaps to 1st stage, at 110 km/h (60 kts) set them to neutral.
Climb
A comfortable setting for climb is flaps in neutral position, speed of 70 kts (130 km/h) at or slightly
below 5500 RPM. In summer time or when outside temperature exceeds 30°C you should consider
climbing at some 85 kts (160 km/h) to provide more airflow to the engine radiators. Trim the aircraft
for comfortable stick forces.
Cruise
Passing through 85 kts (160 km/h), set flaps to negative position (handle full down). A comfort-
able cruise setting is 5300 engine RPM. As the Sinus is sensitive to flap settings, especially when it
comes to fuel efficiency, ALWAYS use negative stage of flaps beyond 85 kts (160 km/h) and neutral
for level flight below 70 kts (130 km/h).
Cruising fast, do not kick-in rudder for turns! Above 85 kts (160 km/h) the rudder becomes almost
insignificant in comparison to aileron deflections when it comes to making a turn. Cruising fast, it
is extremely important to fly coordinated (ball in the middle) as this increases efficiency and de-
creases side-pressure onto vertical tail surfaces. Also, pay attention to turbulence. If you hit tur-
bulence at speeds greater than VRA, reduce power immediately and pull the nose up to reduce
speed.
If flying a traffic pattern, keep flaps in neutral position and set engine power so that airspeed does
not exceed 150 km/h (80 kts).
Descent
Descending with the Sinus is the stage of flight where the most care should be taken. As the aircraft
is essentially a glider, it is very slippery and builds up speed very fast.
Start the descent by reducing throttle and keep your speed below VRA.
During initial descent it is recommended you trim for a 10 kts lower speed than the one you decided
to descent at. Do this for safety. In case you hit turbulence simply release forward pressure on the
stick and the aircraft will slow down.
Also, keep in mind you need to begin your descent quite some time before destination. A com-
fortable rate of descent is 500 fpm (2.5 m/s). So it takes you some 2 minutes for a 1000 ft (300 m)
drop. At 105 kts (200 km/h) this means 3.6 NM for each 1000 ft drop.
Entering the traffic pattern the aircraft must be slowing down. In order to do this, hold your alti-
tude and reduce throttle to idle. When going below 80 kts (150 km/h), set flaps to neutral position.
Set proper engine RPM to maintain speed of 70 kts (130 km/h). Trim the aircraft for comfortable stick
forces.
Before turning to base-leg, reduce power to idle and set flaps to 1st stage at 60 kts (110 km/h).
Once out of the turn, reduce speed towards 55 kts (100 km/h). Power remains idle from the point of
turning base all the way to touch-down. If you plan your approach this way, you will always be on
the safe side - even if your engine fails, you will still be able to safely reach the runway!
Turn to final at 55 kts (100 km/h). When in runway heading, set flaps to 2nd stage. Operate the air-
brakes to obtain the desired descent path (if applicable).
How to determine how much airbrakes you need for a certain airspeed?
Open them half-way and observe the runway. If the runway threshold is moving up, you are drop-
ping too fast - retract the airbrakes a little. If the runway threshold is disappearing below your
aircraft, you are dropping too slowly - extend airbrakes further. When working on airbrakes, it is
important to keep the airspeed/pitch angle constant throughout final all the way to flare! The
airbrakes will not impact your speed, just rate (angle) of descent. For pilots who are not used to
operating airbrakes but throttle instead, keep in mind that airbrakes in Sinus work just like throttle
does: handle back equals less throttle, handle forward equals more throttle.
CAUTION! Never drop the airbrakes handle when using them, keep holding the handle even
if you are not moving it!
Should you bounce off the runway after touch-down, do not, under any circumstances, push
stick forward or retract airbrakes. Spoilers (airbrakes) stay fully extended, the stick goes backwards
slightly. Bouncing tends to reduce by itself anyhow.
Crosswind landings, depending on the windspeed, require some sort of drift correction. Most
efficient is the low-wing method, where you are to lower the wing into the wind slightly and main-
tain course by applying appropriate rudder deflection. You can also try the crab method.
Crosswind landings on paved runways
(asphalt, concrete, tarmac...)
In this case, special attention must be paid to straightening the aircraft before touchdown in or-
der not to damage the undercarriage because of increased surface grip on impact.
Should the crosswind component be strong (8 kts and over), it is recommended to gently flare in
such a manner, that one of the main wheels touches-down an instant before the other (e.g. if
there is crosswind from your left, the eft wheel should touch down just before the right wheel does).
This way the undercarriage almost cannot be damaged due to side forces on cross-wind landings.
use 1st stage of flaps for increased maneuverability. In very strong winds (20 kts and more), use
neutral flaps (0 deg.) for the complete approach and roundout.
Parking
Nothing special to add here. Taxi to the apron with flaps in negative position (minimum lift) and
spoilers retracted. Again, taxi slow for reasons mentioned under “Taxi”. Come to a standstill, shut
down the engine, insert the parachute rescue system activation handle’s safety pin, unlock and
leave the airbrakes handle hanging down freely (this reduces stress to airbrake plate’s springs and
maintains their stiffness). It is recommended to shut both fuel valves for longer parking or when
parked on a slope.
Soaring
Soaring is a learned skill. Your soaring performance is vastly dependant on your weather knowl-
edge, flying skills and judgement.
“Good judgement comes from experience. Unfortunately, the experience usually comes from bad judge-
ment.” So be careful and do not expect to become a competition-class glider pilot over night.
Once you have shut down the engine and feathered the propeller as described in this manual, you
are a glider pilot and you must start thinking as a glider pilot.
The most important thing is to try very hard to fly as perfectly as possible.
This means perfect stick and rudder coordination and holding the same angle of attack in straight
flight as well as in turns. Only so will you be able to notice what nature and its forced to do your air-
plane.
When ridge soaring and flying between thermals, I would recommend to have flaps in neutral
position. When thermalling or making eights along the ridge, do have flaps in 1st stage.
Speeds range from 75 km/h (40 kts) to 100 km/h (55 kts). To quickly overfly the span between two
thermals, fly at 130 km/h (70 kts) with flaps in neutral position.
WARNING! Never make a full circle flying below the ridge’s top, fly eights instead until you
reach a height of 150 meters (500 feet) above the ridge top. From then on it is safe to fly full
circles in a thermal.
Entering and exiting a turn when flying unpowered requires more rudder input than when flying
with the engine running. So work with your legs! To quickly enter a sharp turn at speeds between
80 - 90 km/h (43 - 48 kts) basically apply full rudder quickly followed by appropriate aileron deflection
to keep the turn coordinated. Same applies for exiting a turn at that speeds.
When soaring for long periods of time in cold air, monitor engine temperatures. Note that if the en-
gine is too cold (oil temperature around freezing point), the engine may refuse to start. Fly in such a
manner you will safely reach a landing site.
To improve your soaring knowledge I would recommend two books written by a former world
champion:
The first is a book for beginners, the second imposes more advanced flying techniques, tactics and
cross country flights strategies.
Conversion tables
kilometers per hour (km/h) - knots (kts) - metres per sec. (m/s)
km/h kts m/s km/h kts m/s km/h kts m/s
1.853 1 0.37 63.00 34 18.34 124.16 67 36.15
3.706 2 1.07 64.86 35 18.88 126.01 68 36.69
5.560 3 1.61 66.71 36 19.42 127.87 69 37.23
7.413 4 2.15 68.56 37 19.96 129.72 70 37.77
9.266 5 2.69 70.42 38 20.50 131.57 71 38.31
11.11 6 3.23 72.27 39 21.04 133.43 72 38.86
12.97 7 3.77 74.12 40 21.58 135.28 73 39.39
14.82 8 4.31 75.98 41 22.12 137.13 74 39.93
16.67 9 4.85 77.83 42 22.66 198.99 75 40.47
18.53 10 5.39 79.68 43 23.20 140.84 76 41.01
20.38 11 5.93 81.54 44 23.74 142.69 77 41.54
22.23 12 6.47 83.39 45 24.28 144.55 78 42.08
24.09 13 7.01 85.24 46 24.82 146.40 79 42.62
25.94 14 7.55 87.10 47 25.36 148.25 80 43.16
27.79 15 8.09 88.95 48 25.90 150.10 51 43.70
29.65 16 8.63 90.80 49 26.44 151.96 82 44.24
31.50 17 9.17 92.66 50 26.98 153.81 83 44.78
33.35 18 9.71 94.51 51 27.52 155.66 84 45.32
35.21 19 10.25 96.36 52 28.05 157.52 85 45.86
37.06 20 10.79 98.22 53 28.59 159.37 86 46.40
38.91 21 11.33 100.07 54 29.13 161.22 87 46.94
40.77 22 11.81 101.92 55 29.67 163.08 88 47.48
42.62 23 12.41 103.77 56 30.21 164.93 89 48.02
44.47 24 12.95 105.63 57 30.75 166.78 90 48.56
46.33 25 13.49 107.48 58 31.29 168.64 91 49.10
48.18 26 14.03 109.33 59 31.83 170.49 92 49.64
50.03 27 14.56 111.19 60 32.37 172.34 93 50.18
51.80 28 15.10 113.04 61 32.91 174.20 94 50.12
53.74 29 15.64 114.89 62 33.45 176.05 95 51.26
55.59 30 16.18 116.75 63 33.99 177.90 96 51.80
57.44 31 16.72 118.60 64 34.53 179.76 97 52.34
59.30 32 17.26 120.45 65 35.07 181.61 98 52.88
61.15 33 17.80 122.31 66 35.61 183.46 99 53.42
h h T T p p r g n*106
T/T0 p/p0 d 1/S d Vs (m2/s)
(m) (ft) (°C) (°K) (mmHg) (kg/m2) (kgs2/m4) (kg/m4)
-1000 -3281 21.5 294.5 1.022 854.6 11619 1.124 0.137 1.347 1.099 0.957 344.2 13.4
-900 -2953 20.8 293.8 1.020 844.7 11484 1.111 0.136 1.335 1.089 0.958 343.9 13.5
-800 -2625 20.2 293.2 1.018 835 11351 1.098 0.134 1.322 1.079 0.962 343.5 13.6
-700 -2297 19.5 292.5 1.015 825.3 11220 1.085 0.133 1.310 1.069 0.967 343.1 13.7
-600 -1969 18.9 291.9 1.013 815.7 11090 1.073 0.132 1.297 1.058 0.971 342.7 13.8
-500 -1640 18.2 291.2 1.011 806.2 10960 1.060 0.131 1.285 1.048 0.976 342.4 13.9
400 -1312 17.6 290.6 1.009 796.8 10832 1.048 0.129 1.273 1.039 0.981 342 14.0
300 -984 16.9 289.9 1.006 787.4 10705 1.036 0.128 1.261 1.029 0.985 341.6 14.1
200 -656 16.3 289.3 1.004 779.2 10580 1.024 0.127 1.249 1.019 0.990 341.2 14.3
100 -328 15.6 288.6 1.002 769.1 10455 1.011 0.126 1.237 1.009 0.995 340.9 14.4
0 0 15 288 1 760 10332 1 0.125 1.225 1 1 340.5 14.5
100 328 14.3 287.3 0.997 751.0 10210 0.988 0.123 1.213 0.990 1.004 340.1 14.6
200 656 13.7 286.7 0.995 742.2 10089 0.976 0.122 1.202 0.980 1.009 339.7 14.7
300 984 13.0 286.0 0.993 133.4 9970 0.964 0.121 -1.191 0.971 1.014 339.3 14.8
400 1312 12.4 285.4 0.991 724.6 9852 0.953 0.120 1.179 0.962 1.019 338.9 14.9
500 1640 11.1 284.7 0.988 716.0 9734 0.942 0.119 1.167 0.952 1.024 338.5 15.1
600 1969 11.1 284.1 0.986 707.4 9617 0.930 0.117 1.156 0.943 1.029 338.1 15.2
700 2297 10.4 283.4 0.984 699.0 9503 0.919 0.116 1.145 0.934 1.034 337.8 15.3
800 2625 9.8 282.8 0.981 690.6 9389 0.908 0.115 1.134 0.925 1.039 337.4 15.4
900 2953 9.1 282.1 0.979 682.3 9276 0.897 0.114 1.123 0.916 1.044 337 15.5
1000 3281 8.5 281.5 0.977 674.1 9165 0.887 0.113 1.112 0.907 1.049 336.6 15.7
1100 3609 7.8 280.8 0.975 665.9 9053 0.876 0.112 1.101 0.898 1.055 336.2 15.8
1200 3937 7.2 280.2 0.972 657.9 8944 0.865 0.111 1.090 0.889 1.060 335.8 15.9
1300 4265 6.5 279.5 0.970 649.9 8835 0.855 0.110 1.079 0.880 1.065 335.4 16.0
1400 4593 5.9 278.9 0.968 642.0 8728 0.844 0.109 1.069 0.872 1.070 335 16.2
1500 4921 5.2 278.2 0.966 634.2 8621 0.834 0.107 1.058 0.863 1.076 334.7 16.3
1600 5249 4.6 277.6 0.963 626.4 8516 0.824 0.106 1.048 0.855 1.081 334.3 16.4
1700 5577 3.9 276.9 0.961 618.7 8412 0.814 0.106 1.037 0.846 1.086 333.9 16.6
1800 5905 3.3 276.3 0.959 611.2 8309 0.804 0.104 1.027 0.838 1.092 333.5 16.7
1900 6234 2.6 275.6 0.957 603.7 8207 0.794 0.103 1.017 0.829 1.097 333.1 16.9
2000 6562 2 275 0.954 596.2 8106 0.784 0.102 1.006 0.821 1.103 332.7 17.0
2100 6890 1.3 274.3 0.952 588.8 8005 0.774 0.101 0.996 0.813 1.108 332.3 17.1
2200 7218 0.7 273.7 0.950 581.5 7906 0.765 0.100 0.986 0.805 1.114 331.9 17.3
2300 7546 0.0 273.0 0.948 574.3 7808 0.755 0.099 0.976 0.797 1.120 331.5 17.4
2400 7874 -0.6 272.4 0.945 576.2 7710 0.746 0.098 0.967 0.789 1.125 331.1 17.6
2500 8202 -1.2 271.7 0.943 560.1 7614 0.736 0.097 0.957 0.781 1.131 330.7 17.7
2600 8530 -1.9 271.1 0.941 553.1 7519 0.727 0.096 0.947 0.773 1.137 330.3 17.9
2700 8858 -2.5 270.4 0.939 546.1 7425 0.718 0.095 0.937 0.765 1.143 329.9 18.0
2800 9186 -3.2 269.8 0.936 539.3 7332 0.709 0.094 0.928 0.757 1.149 329.6 18.2
2900 9514 -3.8 269.1 0.934 532.5 7239 0.700 0.093 0.918 0.749 1.154 329.2 18.3
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X OK
Supplemental sheet
for
WARNING!
This leaflet MUST be present inside the cockpit at all times!
Should you be selling the aircraft make sure this supplemental sheet is handed over to the new owner.
In case of aircraft damage or personal injury resulting form disobeying instructions in this document
PIPISTREL LSA denies any responsibility.
All text, design, layout and graphics are owned by PIPISTREL LSA therefore this document and any
of its contents may not be copied or distributed in any manner (electronic, web or printed) without
the prior consent of PIPISTREL LSA.
Markings
All changes to the manual are marked in red, all additions in blue.
Normal procedures
Page 58. - Preflight check-up
Vertical tail surfaces, tail wheel 13 14
Tail wheel
Neutral positioning ball bolt: tightened
Wheel fairing: undamaged, firmly attached, clean (e.g. no mud or grass on the inside)
Tire: no cracks, adequate pressure
Wheel fork and fork base: nut tightened, no abnormalities, bearing and positioning ball in position
The aircraft is equipped with a steerable tail wheel, check the spring and release mechanism con-
dition.
Lift the tail high enough so that the tail wheel is not touching the ground and make sure the
wheel side-to-side deflections are smooth and unobstructed.
Weighing form
Weighing point and symbol Scale reading Tare Nett
right main wheel (GD)
left main wheel (GL)
tail wheel (G2)
total (G = GD + GL +G2)
3-view drawing
Before start-up
Fuel system drain PERFORMED
Before takeoff
Doors CLOSED Fuel valves BOTH OPEN
Rudder pedals & hear rest position SET Spoilers (if applicable) RETRACTED
Seat belts FASTENED Doors CLOSED
Parachute rescue system safety pin REMOVED Flight controls CHECKED
Pitot tube protection cover REMOVED Flaps 2nd POSITION
Spoilers (if applicable) RETRACTED Elevator trim SET
Brakes SET
After start-up
Shutdown
Warm up at 2500 / 3500 RPM
Brakes SET
Magneto RPM drop VERIFIED, MAX 300 RPM
Spoilers RETRACTED
Engine & Propeller check RPM within limits
Flaps NEGATIVE
AC lights OFF
Magnetos OFF
Master switch OFF
Fuel valves CLOSED
fold here
Sinus 912 LSA Glider 550 MTOW www.pipistrel.eu
REV. 3
Warranty statement
Warranty applies to individual parts and components only.
The warranty does not include costs related to the transport of the product, goods and spare parts as
well as costs related to the merchandise’ temporary storage. Pipistrel d.o.o. does not offer guarantee for
the damage caused by every day use of the product or goods. Pipistrel d.o.o. does not guarantee for the
lost profit or other financial or non-financial damage to the client, objects or third party individuals .
Warranty voids:
- in case that the customer has not ratified the General Terms of ownership with his/her signature;
- in case the aircraft or the equipment is not used according to the Pipistrel d.o.o.’s instructions or
aircraft’s manual and eventual supplemental sheets;
- in case when the original additional and/or spare parts are replaced with non-original parts;
- in case when the defect is caused by user’s deficient maintenance, inappropriate care and/or cleaning,
user’s negligent handling, user’s inexperience, due to use of product and/or its individual parts or
components in inadequate conditions, due to prolonged use of the product or goods, due to product
and/or parts’ over-stressing (even for a short duration), due to the fact a repair was not carried out
neither by Pipistrel d.o.o. nor by its authorised personnel;
- in case parts that become worn out by every day use (e.g. the covers, pneumatics, electric instruments,
electric installation, bonds and bindings, cables, brake plates, capacitors, cooling devices, various pipes,
spark-plugs, exhaust systems…)
- the owner must ensure regular engine check-outs and maintenance. Some maintenance works that
are demanded by the engine manufacturer must be carried out at Rotax’s authorised service centres.
Via Aquileia 75
34170 Gorizia
Italy, EU
www.pipistrel-usa.com
www.pipistrel.eu