Alpi 300 - Štitar Županja

There is something magical aboutItalian design – whether it is thestunning beauty of their buildings;

the sheer elegance of Italian ladies andtheir clothing; the performance andsmooth lines of their wonderful sports cars;or their beautiful aircraft. The Pioneer 300Hawk is just such a beautiful aircraft.

retractable undercarriage and with a smartred and white colour scheme, the smooth,sleek lines provide a clear impression ofspeed. Although the Pioneer was notdesigned by Stelio Frati it is clearlyinfluenced by his art, being a little Falco-esque in appearance. This cute butperhaps just a little small aircraft has been

The two-seat, side-by-side kit aircraft isof mixed construction, using both woodand composites. Most Pioneers arepowered by a 100hp Rotax 912S and theexample flown here is fitted with an AvtekIdrovario composite, two-blade, manually-adjusted variable-pitch propeller. Sitting onits neat tricycle, electrically-powered,

26 General Aviation August 2011

Alpi AviationPioneer 300 HawkSmall, but beautifully put together

Alpi AviationPioneer 300 HawkSmall, but beautifully put togetherA stylish little two-seat kit that cruises at 130 knots on just 18 litres per hour sampledby Keith Wilson (who also took the pictures)

pioneer hawk 2rrr:GA 13/7/11 22:15 Page 26

designed for going places – quickly!Originally designed as a 450Kg

microlight for the Italian market by AlpiAviation back in 1998, the Pioneer 300has undergone significant updates (andweight upgrades) along the way. Many ofthe European constructed Pioneer 300shave been cleared to well over this weight.The Pioneer 300 Hawk model features araised canopy providing more space for thetaller pilot, gas-oil dampers within themain undercarriages for improved ridecomfort, an all-composite instrument paneland with the wings now completelycovered in plywood.

Work on approving the Pioneer for UKconstructors started in January 2003when the Popular Flying Association (nowthe LAA) visited the factory in Pordenone,near Venice and made a number ofrecommendations, especially in areaswhere the design might not comply withJAR/VLA requirements. All of these were

the materials allowable. This, andconservative design, has led the LAA toclear what was initially a 450kg machineto fly at 560Kg. Plywood used on the wingleading edges is birch or Okomi.

Most of the structure – fuselage, controlsurfaces and pre-fabricated wings – arebuilt in Croatia where there is a good skillbase and the level of wages ensuresexcellent value for money. Thesecomponents are shipped to the factory atPordenone for inspection before thecomplete kit is shipped to the customer.

When Pioneer UK approached the PFAfor the services of a suitably-qualifiedcertification engineer they recommendedDave Simpson. He had already carried outsimilar work on a powered parachute, the

AX-3 microlight, AvionsMignet’s Balerit, theIkarus C-42 and EV-

97 Eurostar andcame highly

recommended. Initially, heworked on the Pioneer 300,

then the 200 and 200microlight version before starting

recently on the Pioneer 400. “It wasan interesting way to sell an aircraft to

me” recalls Dave. “After completing thecalculations and testing, I was convinced

of its strength and integrity.” Hepurchased a kit with co-owner TimFranklin in 2006 and commenced

the build. “I’m a very slow builder,”he added, but what he really meant

was he’s a bit of a perfectionist. Theaircraft is beautifully finished.

When the aircraft was completed inOctober 2009, it was registered asG-OPYO. Co-owner Tim Franklin is afarmer with some of his land set aside forpick-your-own strawberries and raspberries– adjacent to the Graveley runway.

The first flight was made at Graveley byBob Morcom on 9th November 2009 andBob went on to complete the LAA flighttest programme in four weeks. AlthoughGraveley may be considered small for atest flight, Henlow and Little Gransden areclose by and Bob decided to see how theaircraft felt on the first flight before eitherlanding back at base or diverting. Aftertaxi trials and a couple of high-speed runsthe first short flight was made. It lastedten minutes, allowing basic control feel tobe assessed and engine parametersmonitored while the landing gear was leftdown. Such was Bob’s confidence in thedesign and build quality he returned toGraveley and the rest of the test flying wascarried out from there, with only minoradjustments needed to complete the testschedule.

Dave Simpson and Bob Morcom kindlybrought the aircraft toPeterborough/Conington for me to fly. Itsarrival turned heads and was the subject ofclose inspection by flying club members –all comments being complimentary.

accepted by the factory and incorporatedinto subsequent VLA as well as kitproduction.

The fuselage is made from a woodentruss structure with carbon fibre surfaces.The wings have wooden spars and ribs,with plywood covering, then a single layerof glass fibre on the top. This adds a littleweight to the structure but ensures asmoother finish and keeps moisture out ofthe wood. The horizontal stabiliser is allcarbon fibre while the vertical stabiliser’sspar is of wood. All control surfaces areconstructed of wood with fabric coveringand doped. The ailerons are rod-operatedwhile the elevator and rudder use cables.

Structural wood throughout isNorwegian spruce. Perhaps surprisingly,this species was not identified until sometime after the design and stress analysishad been completed. As aresult conservative valuesfor the wood were used for

General Aviation August 2011 27

The elegant and stylish Pioneer 300 Hawk.Although not designed by Stelio Frati, it isclearly influenced by his art

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First impressionsFor the flight test, Bob Morcom is going tofly with me. The decision was made withthe gross weight limitations in mind asBob is significantly lighter than both Daveand me. Bob graciously offers me the leftseat in G-OPYO, especially with the onlybrakes on my side. With a good quantity offuel in the tanks and both of us on board,we are well inside the 560 kg maximumtakeoff weight.

Walking towards the Pioneer parked onthe grass, you get a wonderful sensation ofclassic Italian racing car design, with thesmooth, sporty, red lines reminiscent of theFerrari stable. That said, as you get close,you do begin to realise just how small thisaircraft really is – after all, it is a VLA.

The walk-round is pretty straightforwardbut we pay particular attention to theundercarriage. The aircraft normallyoperates from a grass strip and it’simportant to check that the wheel wells arefree of mud. Bob instructs me to get onboard while he waits on the grass, for twopeople on the back of the wing at thesame time will tip the aircraft back onto itstail. Using the small wing walkway, Iclamber up the wing. Looking into the newcockpit, I am reticent about standing onthe light grey and blue seats but Dave hascleverly fitted a carpeted step just ahead ofthe leading edge of the seats for just this

reason. Once I slide into the seat, it is asnug fit, just like you’d expect from a high-performance sports car. The seats havebeen cleverly sculptured by Alpi to ensuremaximum room for the torso and legswhile providing excellent support. Bobassists me with strapping on the bright redAlpi four-point harness before he walksaround the aircraft and takes his place inthe right seat.

The cockpit is completed to a highstandard for a kit aircraft. In front of thepilot is a cluster of six large 3 1/8-inchgauges, including an engine RPM gaugecalibrated up to 7000 rpm, with the red

are the electric flap switch and parkingbrake lever. To complete this section areswitches and indicators for electrically-operated aileron and rudder trims. A nicetouch is the clear panel by your feetallowing a view of the nose undercarriage.

Start-upStart-up is standard Rotax. With theparking brake firmly ‘on’, master ‘on’ andthrottle set to idle I turn the key. Itimmediately jumps into life, and afterchecking the oil pressure is rising I adjustthe throttle for 2500rpm. With no otheraircraft parked near us I opt to do ourground run on the grass. Bob leans behindand pulls the canopy forward to latch andlock it. This needs to be done very gentlyas the canopy is fairly flexible when openand must be held in the centre of theleading edge before being pulled forward.Failure to do this correctly may result in therear centre guide jumping off its runner,although it only takes seconds to put back.Once secure I am able to work my waythrough the checklist, including checkingthe mags at 4000rpm and cycling theprop.

Ground checks complete, I move thethrottle back to idle, release the parkingbrake and slowly apply power beforechecking the brakes, which are veryeffective, something which would needwatching on wet grass. The nosewheelsteering is light and positive, if appearingjust a little lightweight on the grass. The

line at 5800, for the Rotax 912S. It ispositioned just to the right of the manifoldpressure gauge. G-OPYO also has aTruTrak autopilot installed, working as awing leveller and slaved from the GPS. Onthe right-hand side of the panel, in front ofthe passenger, are nine 2¼-inch enginemanagement instruments. The centre ofthe panel is dominated by a slightly old-fashioned but reliable Garmin 296 GPS, aBendix King KY97A radio and a small buttidy TRIG TT21 transponder andFlightTech intercom. Dave Simpson hascarefully kept the weight down throughoutthe build.

Below this panel are the switch andindicator lights for the retractableundercarriage, just above the controls forthe Avtek Idrovario composite two-bladeprop. Moving down this panel is thespring-loaded plunger throttle (whichalmost caught me out later in the flight) asRotax supply the carburettors with sprungopen throttles in the belief that in the eventof a cable break, a fully open throttle isbetter than a fully closed one. Below this


Top: classic Italian racing linesare clearly evidentAbove: Pioneer 300 Hawk is happy on hardand grass runways. G-OPYO is operated froma private grass strip, so it’s important tocheck the wheel wells are free of mudLeft: with no preset detents, the electric flapsare operated by a toggle switch just belowthe throttle while position indicator marks arevisible on the flap


narrow wingspan is a distinct benefitmanoeuvring between the aircraft parkedon the apron. At the hold I put the electricfuel pump on and set the flaps to 12º byholding the flap switch down until themark appears on the actual flap, clearlyvisible over my left shoulder – simple butvery effective. There are no pre-set flapdetents. With controls checked for full andfree and the seatbelts secure, I taxy ontoConington’s runway 28.

Take-offFollowing Bob’s lead, I gently add powerand keep straight with right rudder. Ataround 25 knots I ease back on the nose a

little and wait… and at just over 40 knotsshe flies herself off the runway. We haveonly used around 200 metres. Itimmediately becomes apparent that aileronand elevator response is light and wellbalanced and keeping her straight is easy.Once I’m sure we are heading skywards atbest climb speed (60 knots) I dab thebrakes and move the undercarriage leverup. It takes around ten seconds for thegear to retract fully. The effect on the trimis obvious and I compensate for thechanges. Next, I increase the climb speedto 65 knots before cleaning up the flaps.Once again, the trim change is obvious. Itquickly becomes clear to me that thisaircraft is going to need lots of trimchanges. A small gripe here; the trimswitch is located on the centre console andinvolves moving your hand down – off the


Left: neat and compact cockpit and panellayout; everything falls neatly to hand butthere is little room for additions!Lower left: sculpted racing seat and Alpi’sown four point harnesses. Baggage bay islimited to 35kgs

Technical Specifications Pioneer 300 HawkDimensions:Wingspan 24 ft 9 in 7,55 mLength 20 ft 6 in 6,25 mCabin width 3ft 5 in 1,05 mCabin height 3 ft 5 in 1,05 mWing area 10 m²

Weights:Empty 715 lbs 325 kgMaximum take off 1234 lbs 560 kgMaximum payload 520 lbs 235 kgMaximum fuel capacity 17.5 galls 80 litresMaximum baggage 77 lbs 35 kg

Performance:Maximum speed Vne 150 knotsCruise speed (70% power) 130 knotsStall speed (full flap) IAS 27 knotsRate of climb 1,150 fpmService ceiling 16,000 feet 4876 mTake-off run 623 ft 190mLanding distance 918 ft 280mRange (at 75% power with 30 minute reserve) 500 nm 800 kmAirframe limits +3.8/ -2 g

Engine & propeller:100hp Rotax 912 ULS driving a two-blade composite, variable-pitchAvtek Idrovario propeller of 5 ft 11 in (180cm) diameter.

Manufacturer:Alpi Aviation S.r.l., Pordenone, Venice, Italy. Tel: +39 (0)434 370496.Email: [email protected]. Web site: www.alpiaviation.com

UK Distributor:Performance Aviation Ltd. Shobdon Airfield, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 9NP.Tel 01568 709376Web site: www.performance-aviation.co.uk


throttle – to adjust the trim while holdingincreased stick pressure in your left hand.A coolie hat-style trim adjuster on the stickwould make life considerably easier.

I increase the climb speed to 85 knots –which provides us with a climb rate ofalmost 1,000 fpm – and continue up to2,000 feet, keeping one eye on the coolantand oil temperature gauges, beforelevelling off and reducing the throttle backto 5000rpm. I adjust the prop pitch to 21inches and wait as the speed quicklybuilds to 110 knots, while still adjustingthe trim. This economical cruise speeduses only 15 litres per hour.

Party trickBefore we explore the handlingcharacteristics, Bob wants to show me thePioneer’s party trick. He adjusts the powerand trim to ensure the aircraft is absolutelyin balance and tells me to lean backwardsat the same time as he does. The aircraftstarts to climb immediately and he allowsit to continue for around 20 seconds beforesuggesting we both lean forward. Yep! Theaircraft slowly moves from nose up to nosedown and continues downward. Now weboth move back into our normal positionsand the aircraft slowly returns to straightand level flight. This neat demonstrationconfirms the narrow centre of gravity rangeof the Pioneer, reminding one to check theweight and balance calculations on allflights.

I check its high-speed cruise, openingthe throttle to its maximum continuoussetting of 24 inches, adjust the VP prop to5300rpm and re-trim as the aircraftquickly increases speed to around 130knots. Once trimmed it sits therereasonably comfortably, although todaythere are a few thermals around. The highwing loading copes well with the bumps.At this speed, fuel burn is just 18 litres perhour, giving us a high-speed cruise still airrange of around 500nm plus a 30-minutereserve. Very impressive if you are in ahurry to get somewhere, although thenoise levels in the cockpit at this speedwithout the headset are not overlycomfortable – thanks goodness for ANR!

With the power back to economicalcruise I try some turns left and right, andthe well co-ordinated flying controls take itall in its stride. The relatively small rudderis not always required but does makenicer, smoother turns when employedcorrectly. What I quickly notice is theamount of speed that is washed off duringthese turns, especially when I tightenthem. I’ll need to watch this when I’mback in the circuit.

Next, I climb up to 5000 feet to explorethe slow-speed handling. With checkscomplete I reduce power almost to idleand pitch the nose up, decelerating at thestandard one knot per second. As thespeed steadily decays I check the ball is inthe middle and bring the power right back

under 30 knots with little tendency to dropa wing. All very benign.

A push on the stick combined with anincrease in power and we are flying againwith minimal height loss. With full powerapplied, the acceleration is brisk but I don’tneed to worry – there is no gear downspeed limit. I start to retract it anyway, thistime anticipating the significant trimchanges required. The blue ‘gear in transit’light stops flashing to indicate the gear isup and I am able to check visually throughthe Perspex panel by my feet. Next, flap isselected up, and again I anticipate the trimchanges. Bob suggests we try anaccelerated stall at cruise power and Igradually increase back pressure on thestick until 3g is indicated on the gauge.This aircraft really talks to you. It’s likeflying on cobblestones and it just sits therewaiting… until I increase the back

to idle. Initial buffet can be felt throughthe stick at around 40 knots and theaudible stall warner sounds in my ears. Icontinue with the back pressure while shestarts to wallow, and eventually she stallsat around 35 knots with the nosedropping almost apologetically. There is notendency for either wing to drop. I try withtake-off flap (12º) and landing flap (35º)set; the characteristics are similar,although the stall speed is now nearer 30knots; the ASI’s accuracy at this attitude isnot perfect and we see 25 knots indicatedwith full flap. The standard recovery iseffective and the height loss minimal. Justto prove the point, I keep full flap downand lower the undercarriage to see if thishas any effect. I needn’t bother, as itdoesn’t! With the nose held high and thestall warner screaming in my ear itmushes down and eventually stalls at


Above: fuel efficiency and speed makethe Hawk an excellent tourer.This photo: great handling, althoughthe speed tends to wash off quickly intight turns


pressure even further and it gives upflying. It flicks quickly and positively to theright and returns to straight and level flight.Textbook.

As I return to the circuit there are a fewwords of wisdom from the right seat: “Planahead, watch the speeds and keep on topof the trim.” And good advice it was too!Crosswind landing limits for the aircraftare 15 knots with full flap so today’sgentle 45 degree, 10 knot wind won’t be aproblem. I join the circuit at Coningtonand reduce speed to 110 knots whilesetting the prop to fully fine. Downwindchecks complete, I start to slow theaircraft down by reducing power. As thespeed reduces, significant amounts of trimare required. Back below 80 knots I getthe first stage of flap down and start tolower the gear. The trim change with bothgear and flaps is quite amazing; significantnose-up trim is required. As I gently turnonto base leg I lower the second stage(20º) of flaps. I am now anticipating thecorresponding change in trim – clearly, Iam getting used to it.

Onto final approach, I check three

would be easily attainable with practice –and a change of throttle!

As we taxi, Bob opens the cockpit andallows some welcome cool air inside. Thelarge Perspex area certainly induces heatin the summer although I hadn’t noticed itin flight due the efficient cool air ductsinstalled by Dave during the build. I taxiback to the grass parking area. After magchecks, I shut down the Rotax 912Swhich stops immediately – and somewhatalarmingly if you are not used to it – as Imove the ignition switch to ‘off’.

ConclusionsThis is a nicely built and well-finishedexample of the Pioneer 300 Hawk kit andgreat fun to fly. Clearly, Dave Simpson’sperfectionist tendencies are evident in thebuild and its flying characteristics.

While the Pioneer 300 Hawk, at aMAUW of 560kg, qualifies as a VLA, itdoesn’t always fly like one. True, it slowsdown quickly – just like many other VLA’sit doesn’t have the weight to provide inertia– but with a manually-operated VP prop,retractable undercarriage and all the trimchanges, this aircraft is really a complexsingle. You mustn’t let it get ahead of youor let the rapid decrease in speed catchyou out in the base turn.

Comparison with other two-seat kitaircraft is a little difficult because most ofthe competition do not qualify as VLAs. Forspeed and economy it compares well withthe all-composite Europa XS but loses outa little with payload. The all-metal fixedtricycle gear RV-6A has a better payloadand top speed but at the cost of aconsiderably higher fuel burn (and noiselevel).

Despite its fuel efficiency and great turnof speed, the Pioneer 300 Hawk lacksbaggage space. What baggage is permitted– a maximum of 35kg on a shelf behindthe seats – has to be carefully factored intothe weight and balance calculations. ThePioneer 300 Hawk is a great flying picnichamper, absolutely ideal for a fast, day tripor perhaps an overnight stop, but lackingin that all-important baggage space for afew days away.

Bob Morcom recently took his daughterLouise to the Badminton Horse Trials in G-OPYO. Taking off from Graveley,Hertfordshire, their airborne time was amere 45 minutes each way – rather than a2 hour 45-minute car journey plus anallowance for the queues getting into andout of the car park. Car and aircraft wouldburn similar quantities of mogas for thereturn journey. I know which method oftransport Bob preferred – and so would I,although I would change that bloodythrottle mechanism first! �

greens and take full flap (35º) whiletrimming. “Nail 65 knots on approach,slowing to 55 over the hedge,” is theadvice from the right. The rudder iseffective all the way down and easilycounters what little crosswind there is. Ikeep it lined up with the centre line andaim at the numbers which are approachingquickly. With the nose delicately pulledback to protect the gear, I touch downgently with some power on. There is notendency to bounce and I immediatelyremove the last of the power while keepingher straight with rudder, and think aboutapplying the brakes.

I fail to lock the throttle closed. Thatbloody spring-loaded throttle plays its trickon me and starts to increase power again!Initially, I am slow to react but when I do, Ihold the throttle back with my right handto make sure it doesn’t repeat its trick, withthe stick firmly in my left hand keeping thepressure off the nose wheel. The veryeffective toe brakes quickly arrest our roll.Despite the drama we have used less than500 metres of runway, but I’m sure thebook figure landing roll of 280 metres


Left: curved approach at Graveley meansflying over a corner of the golf courseBottom left: with hanger space at a premium,G-OPYO is stored on a hoist


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Alpi 300 - Štitar Županja