Pipistrel Apis/Bee

Apis/Bee is a single-seat middle-wing ultralight self-launching glider with T-shaped tail. Featuring the same wing- and tail section aerodynamics as the Sinus and Taurus, you can be positive in Apis-Bee stellar gliding performance. In fact, Apis-Bee holds several World Records!

Construction
All plastic parts are made in AFK, GFK and CFK technology while all main parts are LN certified. The plane itself is made of armored plastic in combination of epoxy resin enforced with honeycomb, glass, carbon and kevlar fibers.
Wings are made in sandwich construction. Top and lower surfaces are made first then all additional elements (main spare, basic ribs, air-brake enclosure, ....) are glued into top half. Air-brakes expand from top half of the wing only. Rudder is built the same way from two halves wit built-in control connections and hinges.
Fuselage is built in combined AFK and CFK manner as a combination of shell and sandwich construction. Two halves are are built so that most of the elements are glued into one of them and then both are put together. Carbon and kevlar are used from nose to wing section, while the rest is made in sandwich construction. Cockpit is covered with single piece Plexyglass cover opening in forward direction. Pitot tube and air vent (for airing cockpit) are built into nose. Static pressure is measured on the side of the fuselage. Radio antenna is built in to aft vertical stabilizer. Tow tie is mounted on the lower front part of the fuselage. Rudder pedals are adjustable.

Tail section: Horizontal stabilizer and rudder is made the same way as wings: in sandwich construction.

Controls
The Apis/Bee handles with ease and elegance like all the Pipistrel aircraft! Vertical rudders, air-brakes and ailerons use rigid connections (tubes and bearings) while vertical rudder is connected with steel cable.

All controls hook up automaticaly, so you will have no problem assembling and disasembling the aircraft for the storage in a trailer.

Landing gear is a non-retractable wheel with disk brake under the cockpit and a small one on the tail. The wheel brake is accessible by air-brake handle.

APIS/BEE technical data