The first in the Tornado series, the Tornado 103, which started development in 1990, was introduced in 1994 and designed to fit into the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles category, meeting the 254 lb (115 kg) empty weight limit. If equipped with a light enough engine the Tornado 103 could qualify as a US ultralight. The Tornado borrows from the design of the Earthstar Thunder Gull J and shares a similar cantilever wing of small area, keeping stall speeds low by use of flaps. This low drag design manages high cross country speeds as a result. The cockpit is constructed from 4130 steel, while the fuselage boom tube and the wings are built from aluminium. Unlike the Gull's wing, which is aircraft fabric-covered or optionally finished in sheet aluminium, the Tornado's wing is stressed skin. The Tornado has a tricycle undercarriage with a supplemental tailwheel castor, as the aircraft sits on its tail when unoccupied. The Tornado II is the two seats in tandem version, intended for the previous US ultralight trainer category and presently for the US homebuilt and light-sport categories. It has a 23.5 ft (7.2 m) wingspan. Standard engine is the 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 and cruise speed is 100 mph (161 km/h) with that engine. Acceptable power range is 52 to 80 hp (39 to 60 kW). The 60 hp (45 kW) HKS 700E four-stroke engine has also been used. Still in production. Reported construction time is 350 hours. 120 were reported flying in 1998. For details of all variants in the Tornado family, click here. For the company web page and further details on the Tornado II, click here.
