Range Map

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+ cargo
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1

Tank-dry, where fuel runs out at catalogue's stored cruise burn.

Excludes reserves: range beyond the dashed circle requires a leaner cruise than what we store. Great-circle, still air, book cruise. Estimates only: always verify against the POH.

Payload vs. Range

Occupants:

Fuel on board

Cargo

nm

Range

Cargo is additional payload after occupants and baggage.
full tanks
Available Range / nm
Mission capable. This load flies with full fuel.
Fuel reduced by . left aboard for nm range.
Over max payload by . At this load it cannot lift a single occupant.

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Mission Profile

MOSAIC Eligible
In production Aircraft available new or used
150
KTAS
Cruise Speed
400
nm
Max Range
12,500
ft
Service Ceiling
2
Occupants
336
lbs
Wet Payload
Endorsements & ratings:
  • Complex
Blackshape Gabriel -- Blackshape Aircraft (CC BY 4.0)
Blackshape Gabriel -- Blackshape Aircraft (CC BY 4.0)

Estimated Ownership Costs

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About the Blackshape Gabriel

Type certificated 2017

Overview

The Blackshape Gabriel (BK160) is the certified sibling to the Prime: the same carbon-fiber tandem shape, built to a type certificate on a heavier, more capable airframe. Where the Prime is an Experimental ultralight on a 100 hp Rotax, the Gabriel runs a certified 160 hp Lycoming IO-320-D1B with a Hartzell constant-speed propeller. It holds an EASA type certificate (EASA.A.607, under CS-VLA with a special condition that raises the weight limit to 850 kg / 1,874 lb), and its US variant, the BK160-200, earned an FAA type certificate in 2024.

That type certificate is the whole point of the Gabriel. It costs more to buy and run than the Prime and climbs no higher, but it is certified where the Prime is Experimental, which is what a flight school or a syllabus-bound owner needs. The buyer here is the operator who wants the carbon-tandem airplane inside a certified airframe on a familiar Lycoming; a private owner content with Experimental paperwork saves money and stays with the Prime.

Key Features for GA Buyers

  • Type-certificated. EASA certified under CS-VLA with a special condition for the 850 kg weight, and FAA type-certificated as the BK160-200 in 2024 – a certified airframe, not an Experimental one.
  • Familiar powerplant. The Lycoming IO-320 and Hartzell constant-speed prop give schools and mechanics a maintenance profile they already know, wrapped in a modern composite structure.
  • Occupant protection. The carbon airframe is stressed to +4.4/-2 g and adds anti-blast fuel tanks, five-point harnesses, and a ballistic recovery parachute.
  • Jet-trainer cockpit. Tandem controls and a modern glass panel mimic the sightline and workflow of a military trainer, useful for ab-initio and screening programs.

Trade-offs

  • Payload versus fuel. With about 540 lb of useful load and 34 gallons aboard, two large adults plus full fuel needs a careful weight-and-balance – plan legs, not full-tank-and-go.
  • Modest altitude. The naturally aspirated IO-320 caps practical operations around 11,500 to 12,500 ft; this is a low-and-medium-altitude trainer, not a mountain cruiser.
  • Retractable-gear discipline. The retractable gear and constant-speed prop add inspection burden and require a complex-aircraft endorsement beyond a fixed-gear trainer.
  • Certified-airplane costs. A certified composite retractable with a parachute carries higher acquisition, insurance, and scheduled-reserve costs (parachute repack, prop overhaul) than a basic LSA.

See Also

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Wingspan 30 ft
Height
8 ft
Length
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 24 ft
Parking area (ft²2)
1,163 ft²
Max Takeoff Weight
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 1,874 lbs
Max Landing Weight
1,874 lbs
Useful Load
Source: manufacturer figure 540 lbs
Fuel Capacity
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 34 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed
Source: manufacturer figure 150 KTAS
Never-Exceed (VNE)
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 172 KIAS
Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 148 KIAS
Approach Speed
Estimated/derived; not a published figure 65 KIAS
Stall, Clean (VS1)
Estimated/derived; not a published figure 52 KIAS
Range
Source: manufacturer figure 400 NM
Service Ceiling
Source: manufacturer figure 12,500 ft
Rate of Climb
1550 fpm
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle
1,640 ft
Landing over 50 ft obstacle
2,300 ft

Engine

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Sources

Where the figures on this page come from. Blackshape Gabriel specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.

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