MFI-10 Vipan
The third MFI-10B Vipan exhibited at the 1970 Hanover Air Show
Role	Four-seat utility aircraft Type of aircraft
National origin	Sweden
Manufacturer	Malmo Flygindustri
First flight	1961
Primary user	Swedish Army
Number built	3

The Malmo MFI-10 Vipan (en: Peewit) was a four-seat light utility monoplane designed and built in Sweden by Malmo Flygindustri . Only three aircraft were built and the type did not enter quantity production.

Design and development [ edit ]

Designed to meet a requirement for both a civil and military utility aircraft the MFI-10 was a braced high-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear and a cabin for a pilot and three passengers. The aircraft made extensive use of aluminum honeycomb structure , with the wings, tail and rear fuselage made of honeycomb and the forward fuselage of welded steel tubes. ^{[1] [2]} The prototype was powered by a nose-mounted 160 hp (119 kW) Lycoming O-320 engine and first flew in 1961. It was followed by two military prototypes for the Swedish Army designated MFI-10B. The MFI-10B had a 180 hp (134 kW) Lycoming O-360 -A1A engine and first flew on 27 June 1962. ^[1] Plans to produce a variant with a more powerful engine did not proceed and the aircraft did not enter quantity production.

The German company Rhein-Flugzeugbau (RFB) proposed new versions of the MFI-10 in 1993, with either tailwheel or tricycle landing gears . ^[3]

Variants [ edit ]

MFI-10 Vipan

Civil prototype with a 160hp (119kW) Lycoming O-320 engine, one built.

MFI-10B Vipan

Military prototype with a 180hp (134kW) Lycoming O-360 -A1A engine, two built, designated MFI Fpl54 .

MFI-10C Vipan

Proposed by RFB - military version with tailwheel undercarriage and powered by 200 hp (150 kW) O-360-A engine. ^[3]

MFI-10D Phonix

Proposed by RFB - civil version with nosewheel undercarriage. ^[3]

Operators [ edit ]

  Sweden

• Swedish Army

Specifications (MFI-10B) [ edit ]

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1969-70 ^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 3 passengers
• Length: 7.90 m (25 ft 11 in)
• Wingspan: 10.73 m (35 ft 2 in)
• Height: 2.20 m (7 ft 3 in)
• Wing area: 15.70 m ² (169.0 sq ft)
• Aspect ratio : 7.35:1
• Airfoil : NACA 25012
• Empty weight: 650 kg (1,433 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 1,175 kg (2,590 lb)
• Fuel capacity: 200 L (44 imp gal; 53 US gal)
• Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-360 -A1A air-cooled flat-four engine, 130 kW (180 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed Hartzell constant-speed propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 236 km/h (147 mph, 127 kn)
• Cruise speed: 220 km/h (140 mph, 120 kn) at 2,100 m (6,900 ft)
• Never exceed speed : 310 km/h (190 mph, 170 kn)
• Range: 1,000 km (620 mi, 540 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 4,260 m (13,980 ft)
• Rate of climb: 3.4 m/s (670 ft/min)
• Takeoff run: 180 m (590 ft)

Notes [ edit ]

References [ edit ]

• Harrison, Neil (7 May 1964). "In the Air: No. 184: Malmo MFI-10 Vipan" . Flight International . Vol. 85, no. 2878. pp. 779?780 . Retrieved 13 October 2019 .
• Lambert, Mark, ed. (1993). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1993?94 . Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division. ISBN   0-7106-1066-1 .
• Taylor, John W. R. , ed. (1969). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1969-70 . London: Jane's Yearbooks.
• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation . London: Studio Editions.
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985) . Orbis Publishing.