Introduction.

My name is Vassili Tarakanov. I am an Aircraft Design Engineer, specializing in aerodynamics ((Click here for my CV or Resume). I am also a Transport Canada certified ultralight instructor (permit PU741222). I moved to Montreal, Canada in November 1999 where I now live with my family. My address is: 6043 rue Clark Pierrefonds QC Canada, H8Z 2G3, phone/fax (514) 685-2856, E-mail: info@airtrikes.net

I graduated from the best Russian aviation university - the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI) in 1986.

After my graduation I worked as a research engineer in the aerodynamics department of the famous Sukhoy Aviation Design Bureau for about 4 years. My work involved high technology military aircraft. It was a very good job for me as a young engineer, for improving my knowledge and skills.

My hobby however is ultralight and homebuilt planes and remote control helicopter models. Since my childhood I have been making flying models. I was the champion of Moscow in aircraft modeling, Master of Sports.

I began ultralight flying in 1982 when I was a student at MAI. I did my first solo sailing flight and a little later I designed my first hang glider at the delta club of MAI. When I began working at the Sukhoy Aviation Design Bureau, I was already experienced delta pilot-instructor and designer. In 1987 my friends and I created an amateur delta club there. After workdays we made a few training deltas of my design. I organized the commercial production of these designs later as well. I taught new pilots to fly them. We had a lot of flights and camping on weekends and holidays. It was a very exciting time for me.

Unfortunately, 1989-90 was the year when economic crisis began in Russia with reduction of work for military aviation personnel. That is why in 1991 I left the Sukhoy bureau and began working at a small general aviation design bureau as a research and design engineer of light sport airplanes, hang gliders, remote control business aircraft, and ultralight flight machines. There was one more reason. I wanted to travel, perhaps to immigrate, but it was impossible because of my work for secret military airplane projects. However, after five years of quitting Sukhoy Aviation I was finally successful in getting my foreign passport.

Now, some words about magnificent ultralight flying machines called trikes. The popular rendition of a trike was born in the UK and France in the late '70's, and soon it became the most popular kind of ultralight in Europe. This was made possible because the trike was relatively simple, low priced, had excellent service and flying performance, is the safest (by world ultralight accident statistics) and the simplest to control ultralight. Now, trike flying is becoming popular in the US and Canada as well for the same reasons.

The trike looks a lot like a hang glider with a tricycle like undercarriage. There is an engine and a pushing propeller behind it. A triangle shaped bar (control frame) is directly attached to the wing. From this, the pilot controls roll and pitch which in turn steer the trike in the air. I know of one, two and even three-seat trikes.

As an Aerospace Engineer I can tell that the trike has more suitable layout for an ultralight then a conventional airplane. It does not have a tail boom with stabilizers with their aerodynamic drag. There is no interference between the wing and the body or body with prop downstream. There is no negative lift on horizontal stabilizer. This fact allows making take-off and landing with lower airspeed, which is safer. The trike wing is not capable of stall spin. NASA and CAHI research proved the advantages of this concept. Trike does not require a hangar and can be stored in your garage alongside your car taking almost no space. You can transport it on a trailer like a motorcycle or a snowmobile. 30 to 50 minutes of assembly and you are ready to be airborne.

I built my first trike in 1997. It was a model called "Frigate" with "Blue dream 19" wing. I flew it solo just after 15 min of introduction test flight because I had experience in flying delta wings. Getting used to controlling the engine power and the nose gear took some more time. Usually it takes 5 to 7 flight hours before you can fly a trike solo. I really enjoyed those first and following flights much more than flying conventional 3-axis planes. Since that time I have flown different trikes. I also designed and built several trikes, made a fitting of existing wings to different trikes and gained some experience in this field. Here in Canada in 2001 I got my Ultralight Pilot Permit. Later I was certified as Ultralight Instructor.

A little bit more about trikes at the former USSR territory. There are a lot of trike pilots and designers there. Many of the guys, like me, have engineering background and experience from major aerospace companies and also experience in building deltas. They use their aircraft not only for fun but also mostly for hard work such as crop spraying, air patrol, flying with passengers etc. That is why their trikes are usually designed to lift more weight, very reliable, easy to operate and comfortable in flight. This is important for beginner pilots as well as for professionals spending several hours a day in the air. As a rule, the designers use aviation technology and certified materials for their machines so they are closer to commercial aircraft than their "ultralight brothers" from Europe or America.

Some companies such as AEROS or Antares are well known in North America but there are many more companies that produce perfect aircraft and their components for the huge home market and never seriously market or advertise them for export. Some of the best examples are companies such as KLASS, X-Wings, and other products that you can see at this site. They not only have high quality and are proven by years of design and flight but also have very attractive prices. If you like something you see here, I am ready to answer all your questions. Good luck in navigating my site and the sky.