Sling 4
Sling Aircraft · South Africa · first flew 2011 · light aircraft
The four-seat member of the Sling family, stretched from the globe-girdling Sling 2 and powered by a turbocharged Rotax.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.18 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Four-seat stretch of the Sling 2 with the same bubble canopy look
- Low tapered wing and turbocharged Rotax up front
- Slightly longer cabin with rear side windows behind the canopy
Looks like a Sling 2 that kept growing: same low tapered wing, bubble-canopy glasshouse and tricycle gear, but with a longer cabin and small rear windows. Its Rotax hum is noticeably quieter than the Lycoming rasp of a similar-size Piper or Cessna.
Specifications
- The Sling 4 has a length of 7.18 m (24 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.87 m (32 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 230 km/h (143 mph).
- Typical crew: 1 pilot + 3 passengers.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Airplane Factory flew the four-seat Sling 4 in 2011, using a turbocharged Rotax 914 to lift twice the Sling 2’s payload from the same slender airframe philosophy. Like its smaller sibling it promptly demonstrated a round-the-world flight, and it evolved into the more powerful Sling TSi in 2018.
Variants
Sling 4 with the Rotax 914; Sling TSi with the fuel-injected Rotax 915 iS and a modernised wing; both offered factory-built or as kits.
Where you'll see it
Flown worldwide as an economical four-seat tourer and increasingly as an advanced trainer; the TSi in particular has a strong following among kit builders in the United States.
Related aircraft
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.