Blue Yonder Merlin
Blue Yonder Aviation · Canada · first flew 1987 · light aircraft
The Blue Yonder Merlin is a Canadian-designed two-seat high-wing monoplane that can be built as an ultralight or amateur-built aircraft.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Fuselage of welded steel tube covered in aircraft fabric |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing monoplane with taildragger undercarriage
- Wing of aluminium D-cell and foam rib construction
- Fuselage of welded steel tube covered in aircraft fabric
It was designed to take off and land in crosswinds, and the factory estimates build times of 350 to 450 hours.
Specifications
- The Blue Yonder Merlin has a length of 7.01 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.82 m (35 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 193 km/h (120 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
John Burch designed it in 1986 for his flight training school, and the first example flew in 1987. The wing was inspired by the Lazair and used a constant-tapered planform.
Variants
The original Merlin M50 had a 50 hp Rotax 503 and tapered wings. The current Merlin EZ has a constant-chord wing with a Clark Y aerofoil and Rotax 582, 912UL or 912ULS engines.
Where you'll see it
It won the Pilot's Choice Award as Best Ultralight at the 1988 Aircraft Sport Expo, and 308 had been built by 2011. Blue Yonder is the fourth manufacturer of the design.
Related aircraft
- Blue Yonder EZ Flyer
- Blue Yonder EZ Harvard
- Avid Aircraft Speedwing
- Carlson Sparrow
- Fisher Classic
- Hinchman H-1 Racer
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