A Two-motor Electric German Ultralight – Made in the USA

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation 2 Comments

If you are young enough and in good physical condition, dragging a 100-pound ultralight airplane to the top of a hill and hopping off allows an incredibly low operating cost for a very green aviation experience.  As one gets older, this kind of flight is still attractive, but some form of landing gear or training wheels, and quite often, some form of motive power, become necessary. The German ULF-1 has been around for several years, prompting several builders to put their own distinct look on the vintage-looking sailplane.   In fact, over 40 of the microlift-capable craft have been built from plans supplied by designer Dieter Reich.  ULF-1 is a highly capable vehicle, with the longest flight so far lasting six hours and the furthest distance flown around 140 kilometers (87 miles).  The original was constructed by Heiner Neumann, and each example built since has incorporated the usual homebuilder’s touches to each new version. This Russian link gives a view of …