title: Spartan DFD Aerotome
text: # Spartan DFD Aerotome
  
  The Spartan DFD Aerotome, or DFS Aerotome Dual, is an American two-seat ultralight trike that was designed and produced by Spartan Microlights.
  
  ## Design and development
  
  The aircraft was designed as a US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules two-seat trainer. It features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a two-seats-in-tandem open cockpit, tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.
  
  The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its single surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 36 ft (11.0 m) span wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame control bar. Unlike the Spartan DFS Trike the Aerotome uses only a trike delta wing and cannot be converted for powered parachute use.
  
  The standard engine supplied was the twin cylinder, two-stroke, air-cooled 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503, with a 5 U.S. gallons (19 L; 4.2 imp gal) fuel tank. When in production it came with optional dual controls, aero-towing hardware, larger engines and 10 U.S. gallons (38 L; 8.3 imp gal) fuel tank. Thirty had been completed and flown by February 2000.
  
  ## Specifications (Aerotome)
  
  Data from Kitplanes
  
  General characteristics
  
  * Crew: one
  * Capacity: one passenger
  * Length: 7 ft (2.1 m)
  * Wingspan: 36 ft (11 m)
  * Height: 7 ft (2.1 m)
  * Wing area: 190 sq ft (18 $m^2)$
  * Empty weight: 248 lb (112 kg)
  * Gross weight: 750 lb (340 kg)
  * Fuel capacity: 5 U.S. gallons (19 L; 4.2 imp gal) standard
  * Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 503 twin cylinder, two-stroke, air-cooled aircraft engine, 50 hp (37 kW)
  
  Performance
  
  * Cruise speed: 44 mph (71 km/h, 38 kn)
  * Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4,600 m)
  * Rate of climb: 1,500 ft/min (7.6 m/s)
  