Sorrell Hiperlight
Sorrell Aviation · United States · first flew 1982 · light aircraft
The Sorrell Hiperlight is a family of single- and two-seat negative-stagger biplanes designed for amateur construction.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 4.72 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Negative-stagger biplane
- Enclosed cockpit scaled down from the Hiperbipe
- Full-span ailerons on the bottom wing that droop together
Welded steel-tube forward fuselage with a detachable aluminium-tube rear fuselage, fabric covered, that can be removed in ten minutes.
Specifications
- The Sorrell Hiperlight has a length of 4.72 m (15 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 6.71 m (22 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 158 km/h (98 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The single-seat SNS-8 was designed by the Sorrell brothers in 1982 at the request of the US Rotax distributor, to use the 28 hp Rotax 277. It is a scaled-down version of the Sorrell Hiperbipe and fits the US ultralight class.
Variants
Sunrise Aircraft developed the SNS-8 into the two-seat SNS-9, which has a 7.1 m wingspan against 6.7 m for the SNS-8.
Where you'll see it
By December 2011, 603 SNS-8s and 26 SNS-9s had been built. It was initially sold by Sunrise Aircraft and by 2022 was produced by Thunderbird Aviation.
Related aircraft
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