Range Map
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Payload vs. Range
Fuel on board
Cargo
nm
Range
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We do not have a cruise speed on file for this aircraft, so there is no honest time or cost to give you for this leg.
En route
Fuel burned
Direct cost
Fuel cost
Tanks run dry about past before at this burn.
Mission Profile
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Estimated Ownership Costs
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About the Pipistrel Virus SW
Overview
The Pipistrel Virus SW is the cross-country specialist of the Light Sport class, a high-wing composite two-seater that trades a trainer’s docility for speed and reach. On the 100-horsepower Rotax 912 ULS it cruises near 147 knots, climbs better than 1,600 feet per minute, and carries a 163-knot never-exceed speed that follows from how little drag the airframe makes. Its long, high-aspect wing is inherited from Pipistrel’s motorglider work, and it gives the Virus a glide ratio that stretches 26 gallons of mogas to roughly 800 nautical miles of range at a burn near four and a half gallons per hour. Pipistrel also offers the SW with the fuel-injected 912 iS for slightly lower fuel burn.
It sits at the fast, efficient end of the LSA market rather than the training end. Buyers cross-shop it against the high-wing composite Flight Design CT, against the faster Sling TSi and retractable JMB VL3 for those willing to step up in speed and price, and against the value-priced CSA SportCruiser. Owners who want four seats and more range look to Pipistrel’s own Panthera. It is sport-pilot eligible under MOSAIC.
Key Features for GA Buyers
- LSA-class range and efficiency. A glider-derived wing turns 26 gallons of mogas into close to 800 nautical miles at about four and a half gallons per hour.
- Genuine cross-country speed. A 147-knot cruise on 100 horsepower makes it one of the faster airframes flyable on a sport-pilot certificate.
- Strong climb and high ceiling. Better than 1,600 feet per minute and an 18,000-foot service ceiling give it real terrain and weather capability for the class.
- Mogas economy on a fast airframe. A modeled $34-per-hour direct operating cost pairs cruiser speed with trainer-level fuel and reserve costs.
Trade-offs
- More airplane than a primary trainer. Light wing loading and high cruise demand careful speed management on final; it rewards a current pilot and punishes a sloppy approach more than an Alpha or a Sierra.
- Two-seat payload. The efficiency comes from a small, light airframe; this is a two-person traveler, not a load-hauler.
- Speed discipline. A 163-knot never-exceed speed on a light composite airframe narrows the buffer in turbulence and on fast descents.
- Mogas logistics. The low fuel cost depends on car-gas access; 100LL is available everywhere but raises the hourly cost.
See Also
- Flight Design CT – the other fast high-wing composite S-LSA, cross-shopped on speed and cabin width. Compare
- Sling TSi – a faster, roomier composite traveler for buyers ready to step up in power and price. Compare
- JMB VL3 – the retractable, turbocharged LSA that takes the fast-and-efficient idea to its limit. Compare
- CSA SportCruiser – a value-priced S-LSA for buyers who want a roomier cabin over outright speed. Compare
- Pipistrel Panthera – Pipistrel’s four-seat cross-country single for owners who need more seats and range. Compare
Technical Specifications
Dimensions & Weights
- Height
- 6 ft
- Length
- 21 ft
- Parking area (ft²2)
- 1,189 ft²
- Max Takeoff Weight
- Source: manufacturer figure 1,323 lbs
- Max Landing Weight
- 1,323 lbs
- Useful Load
- 673 lbs
- Fuel Capacity
- 26 gal
Performance
- Cruise Speed
- Source: manufacturer figure 147 KTAS
- Never-Exceed (VNE)
- Source: manufacturer figure 163 KIAS
- Approach Speed
- 53 KIAS
- Stall, Clean (VS1)
- 47 KIAS
- Range
- 810 NM
- Service Ceiling
- 18,000 ft
- Rate of Climb
- 1650 fpm
Engine
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Sources
Where the figures on this page come from. Pipistrel Virus SW specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.
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