Origins of the Rainbow Cheetah
Military pilot Vladimir Chechin left Russia in 19914 and moved to South Africa. That same year, he joined Rainbow Aircraft as an engineer; the company manufactured hang gliders. Chechin proposed to the management to develop their own light multi-purpose aircraft based on the Best Off Skyranger.
Prototype and Initial Specifications
As a result, in 2002, the prototype of the Rainbow Cheetah aircraft took to the skies. It was a two-seater, braced high-wing monoplane, equipped with a two-stroke Rotax 582 engine producing 64 hp (48 kW). Alternative engines included the four-cylinder Rotax 912UL with 80 hp (60 kW) or the Rotax 912ULS with 100 hp (75 kW).
Production Models and Engine Variants
The latest production models of the aircraft were the Cheetah XLS and Cheetah XLS Taildragger, differing only in landing gear design. Besides the standard engines, these aircraft could be equipped with Verner VM133 and Jabiru 2200 engines producing 85 hp (63 kW).
Technical Specifications
| Modification | Cheetah XLS |
| Wingspan, m | 9.60 |
| Length, m | 5.67 |
| Height, m | 1.90 |
| Wing area, m2 | 13.25 |
| Empty weight | 248 |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 560 |
| Fuel, l | 100 |
| Engine type | 1 Piston engine Rotax 912UL |
| Power, hp | 1 x 80 |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 177 |
| Cruising speed, km/h | 135 |
| Practical range, km | 1080 |
| Rate of climb, m/min | 318 |
| Service ceiling, m | 3658 |
| Max. operational overload | 6 |
| Crew, crew members | 2 |
Image gallery of the Rainbow Cheetah
