TL-3000 Sirius

The TL-3000 Sirius is TL-Ultralight's high-wing model and the Czech company's answer to demand for a touring aircraft with a good downward view. The programme was announced in early 2007, the prototype was shown at Aero '07 and the first flight took place on 21 May 2008. That prototype was lost in a fatal accident in July 2008. By September 2010, 22 aircraft had been delivered to customers, and the manufacturer dates the start of series production to around 2009/2010. The type has been in continuous production since, making it the factory's second pillar alongside the Sting.

The Sirius is built entirely from composites: a strut-braced high-wing design with a cruciform tail, two side-by-side seats in a 1.13 m wide cabin and fixed tricycle gear. Wingspan is 9.40 m and, according to the flight manual, wing area is 11.15 m². Power comes from the 80 hp Rotax 912, the 100 hp Rotax 912 S/ULS or the 115 hp turbocharged Rotax 914, with the 100 hp fuel-injected 912 iS as an option. Propellers are either a ground-adjustable three-blade DUC or an in-flight adjustable three-blade PowerMax. The type exists both as a 472.5 kg ultralight and as a 600 kg / LSA variant, and the manual figures differ accordingly – so for any individual aircraft the type certificate data sheet is what counts.

In the air the Sirius is a genuine tourer. The manufacturer quotes 180 to 220 km/h cruise; the 600 kg flight manual lists 178 km/h IAS in economy cruise at 4,500 rpm and 239 km/h IAS at maximum continuous power. VNE is 253 km/h IAS and VNO 230 km/h IAS. With the 130 litre tank the manual works out to about 1,400 km at 16 l/h in economy cruise and about 1,200 km at maximum continuous power (25 l/h) – in both cases with no wind and no reserve. At 600 kg the aircraft stalls with landing flap at 68 km/h CAS, which shows as 76 km/h IAS; it needs 185 m of asphalt for take-off and 268 m to land over a 15 m obstacle. The 600 kg flight manual gives a best climb of 4.6 m/s at 120 km/h; the manufacturer quotes 59 km/h minimum speed and 5 m/s climb at maximum takeoff weight for the type, while the German dealer quotes 63 km/h and 5 m/s for the 600 kg version.

Strengths: high cruise speed at moderate fuel burn, generous cabin width and the excellent visibility of a high-wing layout, remarkably short field performance for a fast aircraft, and a useful load that accommodates two well-built pilots plus baggage (200 kg of occupants maximum, 110 kg per seat, 25 kg baggage compartment behind the seats). The weaknesses are worth knowing: published data is inconsistent, with manual and manufacturer figures differing on length, height, wing area and tank size, and no service ceiling is quoted in the accessible documents at all. Baggage is capped at 25 kg and there is a 70 kg minimum weight per seat. And as with any full composite airframe, repairs and refinishing are laborious and belong in a specialist workshop.

One note for reading listings: the Sirius is normally delivered with a Junkers Magnum 601 softpack emergency parachute system. Sellers occasionally enter "Junkers 601" in the engine field by mistake – there is no engine of that name in this context. The TL-3000 Sirius suits pilots who fly long distances two-up with baggage and prefer a high wing for the view. Those chasing outright speed should look at the Sting S4; those looking for a cheap entry point should look at simpler types.