Eruopa Monowheel

[AggieMike88]

Here is one you don't see too often...

https://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/18807483/2001-europa-monowheel

One of my initial questions is how well this thing executes a wing low crosswind landing? Those spindly wing mounted wheels don't look that sturdy.

 

[midcap]

Is that thing a U2 trainer?

 

[Grum.Man]

Always liked those things. The 914 is the perfect engine for that, not a bad price either.

 

[GRG55]

Weren't these a derivative of a sailplane or motorglider?

 

[RyanB]

Is it just me or does the prop appear to have a small ground clearance? Looks like a wheel landing would be prop-strike conducive, but maybe it's just the angle.

 

[Art VanDelay]

I LOVE the Europa Mono wheel ! As a matter of fact I just happened to be flying one up in KLAL on 9/11/2001. It was a demo flight cut short. I found the X/wind technique to not be a problem - take the crab ALMOST all the way to touch down and in some cases it's actually ok to touch down crabbed as you're only touching on one wheel. The limiting factor being the risk of unseating the tire from the wheel due to side load. I will admit at first it's really kind of hard to get yourself to touch down in a crab but it can be learned (much like using a bedpan).

The thing I most liked was that you could pull the wings and stab off and have the whole thing up on a light single axle trailer in about 7 minutes (longer if someone tries to help). Provided your garage was long enough you could take it home and fiddle with it in the garage - no more hangar. Being Rotax powered you could stop at any gas station on the way to the airport and fill it up with premium.

Only negative was it didn't have a BRS and I wish it's top end we're just about 20kts faster.

 

[SoCal RV Flyer]

Hey, I've seen that Europa...pic is taken at Cable airport in Upland, CA, where I'm based. Looks like our annual air show was going on at the time.

An interesting design. Wheel well for the gear makes for a very wide center tunnel. Someone told me that the seats are an integral part of the composite structure, and double as fuel tanks (!).

 

[Art VanDelay]

Hey, I've seen that Europa...pic is taken at Cable airport in Upland, CA, where I'm based. Looks like our annual air show was going on at the time.

An interesting design. Wheel well for the gear makes for a very wide center tunnel. Someone told me that the seats are an integral part of the composite structure, and double as fuel tanks (!).

No, the fuel tank is behind you under the baggage area. Maybe not as ideal as the wing but if I'm in an impact bad enough to bust up something behind me I'm probably not alive anymore anyway. And it beats having a tank in front of you that's between you and the engine like on a cub, champ, thorp, swift etc, etc.

 

[EppyGA]

We just sold a kit that was donated to our chapter.

 

[Anymouse]

Before deciding on building my Tango, the Europa was one of the kits I was looking real hard at. To sort of answer GR's question, the Europa had an option to have longer wings to make it a motorglider. The wings could be interchangeable IIRC.

Also IIRC, the Liberty was derived from the Europa.

 

[TFulwider]

Mark Evans built one for the Plane is Born television show that was filmed for Discovery Europe. It's a pretty neat program