TYPE: Side-by-side lightplane/motor glider kitbuilt.

PROGRAMME: Design started January 1990; prototype (G-YURO) made first flight 12 September 1992. PFA certification achieved May 1993; produced mainly in kit form under PFA auspices, but two assembled by Europa Aviation in 1994 and further three followed by 1996; first customer-built aircraft (G-OPJK) flown 14 October 1995.
Reported in mid-2002 that Europa to modify XS version to comply with new FAA 'sportplane' category (MTOW 590 kg; 1,300 lb or less); may also offer factory-built aircraft.

CURRENT VERSIONS: Europa Classic: Standard aircraft; has options of several types of engine, and monowheel, tailwheel or tricycle landing gear.
Europa XS: Improved version introduced June 1997. Features include higher aspect ratio premoulded wings; larger ailerons; enlarged cabin providing additional legroom and seat width; Rotax 912 ULS or turbocharged Rotax 914 engine in Turbo XS, with new cowlings giving improved cooling, lower drag, increased propeller clearance and better field of view from cockpit; non-steerable tailwheel permitting full rudder deflection during take-off and landing; and supplementary tank holding 35 litres (9.1 US gallons; 7.6 Imp gallons) of usable fuel. Maximum take-off weight increased by 32 kg (70 lb), making it possible to fit a child's seat in the baggage area; maximum speed in excess of 174 kt (322 km/h; 200 mph); maximum range more than 869 n miles (1,609 km; 1,000 miles). Prototype (G-EUXS) first flown 21 March 1997; public debut at EAA Convention at Oshkosh July 1997. Trial installation undertaken in 1999 on G-WWWG with 89 kW (120 hp) Wilksch Airmotive WAM 120 three-cylinder diesel.
Europa motor glider: Alternative long-span glider wings, interchangeable in quoted 5 minutes with standard wings, and featuring trailing-edge airbrakes, maximum extension 90°, inboard of the ailerons, but no flaps; public debut, installed on demonstrator G-ODTI, at PFA International Rally at Cranfield, July 1997; first flight in this confiiguration on 20 November 1998; production-standard wing, which made public debut at PFA International Rally, July 2000, has winglets and extended span of 14.40 m (47 ft 3 in).

CUSTOMERS: More than 900 kits sold by mid-2003 to customers in over 33 countries, of which more than 250 then flown.

COSTS: Airframe kits (XS monowheel) £16,380, (XS tri-gear) £16,820, (XS motor glider) £18,850; engine packages (Rotax 912) £9,160, (Rotax 912 ULS) £9,840, (Rotax 914) £11,920 (all 2001). Motor glider wing retrofit for XS, £9,950; XS short-wing retrofit for motor glider, £5,950 (2003).

DESIGN FEATURES: Objectives included low-cost, economical cruise at IAS up to 120 kt (222 km/h; 138 mph) over 500 n miles (926 km; 575 miles), grass field capability, and ability to rig and de-rig quickly for storage in a trailer similar to a shorter version of glider trailer. Rig/de-rig by six pip-pins, two for tail, two for each wing. Quoted kit building time is 700 hours. Designed to JAR-VLA, stressed for maximum in-flight normal g of 4.3; proof factor of 2 used in design instead of the more usual 1.5, because of extensive use of composites materials in primary structure.
Low/mid-wing layout; moderately tapered wings and tailplane; large, sweptback fin and short fuselage.
Aerofoil is laminar flow Dykins design with 12 per cent thickness/chord ratio and 1° 30' washout at tips (2° 30' washout on XS). Modified Dykins section (15 per cent t/c ratio) on motor glider wings. Wing dihedral 3° (2° 30' on motor glider); no tail dihedral.
Speed Kit introduced in 1999 features outrigger mechanism and wheel fairings and flap hinge fairings for monowheel verions; and wheel, landing gear leg and flap hinge fairings for tricycle version resulting in 9 to 10 kt (17 to 18 km/h; 10 to 11 mph) speed increase for Europa XS.

FLYING CONTROLS: Manual. Conventional ailerons and rudder; all-moving tailplane for pitch control with tab geared for balance, under pilot control for trim. Ground-adjustable tabs in ailerons and rudder. Two control columns, one centrally mounted at each seat; two pairs of rudder pedals. Central console between seats has throttle, combined flap and landing gear levers. Pitch trim switch next to throttle. Slotted flaps with settings of 0° and 25°, electrically actuated on tricycle landing gear version.

STRUCTURE: General construction of GFRP.

LANDING GEAR: Monowheel version has large, single, semi-retractable mainwheel and steerable tailwheel; outriggers at about half-span mounted on nylon stalks which retract with flaps. Mainwheel uses standard 6 in hub, as in many light aircraft; and an 8.00-6 Tundra tyre. Tricycle landing gear version has fixed, spring steel legs, castoring nosewheel, and toe brakes on port side rudder pedals; mainwheel tyre size 5.00-5, nosewheel 4.00-5. Tailwheel landing gear kit offered by Aero Developments of Kemble, UK.

POWER PLANT: One 59.6 kW (79.9 hp) Rotax 912 UL flat-four engine, directly driving a three-blade fixed-pitch Warp Drive propeller; propeller pitch is adjustable on ground to match operating environment (fine pitch for good take-off distances and rate of climb but higher noise and lower cruising speeds; reverse for coarse pitch); alternatively, one 73.5 kW (98.6 hp) Rotax 912 ULS or one 84.6 kW (113.4 hp) turbocharged Rotax 914, driving a three-blade variable-pitch NSI propeller. Alternative Subaru/NSI EA81 installation in 73 kW (98 hp) and 88 kW (118 hp) form first flown (G-NDOL) 18 November 1995. MWAE rotary (73 kW; 98 hp), BMW 1100RS (67.1 kW; 90 hp) and 89kW (120 hp) Wilksch WAM 120 engine installations under development, the first-mentioned installed in UK prototype G-YURO and UK- and US-built tricycle gear demonstrators (G-KITS and N496TG); BMW engine began ground running trials in the third quarter of 1996. Jabiru 3300 offered from 1998.
Normal fuel capacity 68.2 litres (18.0 US gallons; 15.0 Imp gallons); optional 104.6 litres (27.6 US gallons; 23.0 Imp gallons).

ACCOMMODATION: Enclosed cabin seating two side by side under individual upward-opening canopies, hinged on centreline. Baggage compartment at rear of cabin.

SYSTEMS: Hydraulics: mainwheel brake. Electrical: 12 V 30 Ah battery; alternator fit appropriate to engine.

AVIONICS: Customer choice.