Firebirds Aerobatic Display Team
Country
UK
Size
2 Aircraft
Base
Lec Airfield
The Firebirds aerobatic team (formerly known as the Fireflies aerobatic team) is a renowned British civilian aerobatic team. They are stationed at Lec Aerodrome, situated in Bognor Regis, a picturesque town and seaside resort nestled in West Sussex on the enchanting south coast of England.
The Firebirds aerobatic team, a captivating sight at numerous airshows across the UK and Europe, is known for their thrilling performances using two Van's RV4 aircraft. These skilled pilots showcase their expertise by executing breathtaking close-formation aerobatics, impressive solo demonstrations, and awe-inspiring breaks during their dynamic 10-minute display. Moreover, the team's versatility shines through as they offer both captivating daytime aerobatic shows and visually stunning night pyrotechnic displays embellished with wingtip pyrotechnics and vibrant LED lighting.
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Vans RV-4
The Van's RV-4 is an American light homebuilt aircraft supplied in kit form by Van's Aircraft of Aurora, Oregon. It seats two people in a tandem seating configuration with the pilot accommodated in the front seat.
The Van's RV series has become the most popular kit-built aircraft in the world. As of April 2019, the RV-4 is the fourth most popular RV model.
As of October 2019, 1436 RV-4s had been completed and flown worldwide.
Richard VanGrunsven designed the RV-4 in the mid-1970s as a two-seat development of the single-seat RV-3. The RV-4 prototype first flew in August 1979.
The RV-4 is a new design based upon the concepts proven in the RV-3 and is not merely a stretched RV-3. The RV-4 airframe will accept a range of engines up to 180 hp (134 kW), including the Lycoming O-360. The RV-4 has a new wing, with an increased wingspan and wing area over the RV-3. The RV-4 is designed for sport aerobatics.
The RV-4 has proven to be a capable cross country aircraft in service, able to carry two modest-sized people and baggage on longer trips. RV-4s have been flown around the world, notably by an Australian, Jon Johanson, who completed world-girdling RV-4 flights on two occasions.
Many larger people find the RV-4 cockpit design physically constraining, and as a result, VanGrunsven has designed an entire family of derivative designs. The RV-6 was designed to allow side-by-side seating, and the RV-8 was created as an enlarged aircraft that follows the RV-4's philosophy and offers tandem seating in a bigger aircraft.
Unlike most later RV series designs, RV-4 kits are only available with conventional landing gear, although some may have been constructed in tricycle configuration by builders. At least two RV-4s have also been built with retractable landing gear (mostly for the engineering challenge, as the performance gains were modest).
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