Mission M108 Aircraft

Mission M108 is a two-seater, single-engine aircraft designed and developed by Lambert Aircraft Engineering, an aircraft manufacturing company based in Belgium. The aircraft completed its first flight test at the Kortrijk-Wevelgem airfield in May 2014.

The aircraft received type certification and full permit to fly in January 2015, after the completion of eight months of testing and an evaluation phase by the department of Light Aircraft Association (LAA) of the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

Mission M108 aircraft design and features

The Mission M108 aircraft is constructed using a robust tube and fabric airframe. It features a standard emergency airframe parachute and is produced in two versions, namely nosewheel (NW) and tail dragger (TD).

The aircraft features wings that can be folded in less than five minutes by a single person. It can operate from very short farm strips (STOL) and includes a steerable nosewheel.

The exterior dimensions of the aircraft include a length of 6.10m (20ft) and height of 2.15m (7ft 1in) for the TD version or 1.95m (6ft 6in) for the NW version. The width is 2.60m (8ft 7in) with wings in the folded position. The wingspan is 9.32m (30ft 6in) and wing area is 11.8m² (127ft²).

The tail span is 2.40m (8ft) and wheel track is 1.75m (5ft 10in).

Mission M108 aircraft cabin, cockpit and avionics

The aircraft accommodates two passengers with adjustable seats. The cabin is spacious, with a width of 1.08m (43in), and includes a large baggage space with a capacity to take up to 40kg (90lbs) of weight. It includes two upward hinging doors for cabin access.

The aircraft comes with a standard glass cockpit that offers good visibility. It is fitted with a Garmin G3X flight display system with dual 7in display configuration and standard avionics, including audio panel and intercom, PS Engineering PMA4000, GPS/nav/com, GPS/com or GPS, Garmin GTN650, GTN635 or GTN625, mode S transponder, and GTX23ES.

The avionics further include easy flying, full dual controls with individual control sticks, hydraulic brakes, and manual flaps for short take-off and landing.

Optional equipment includes standby airspeed indicator and altimeter, LX BU57, standby magnetic compass, SIRS NV2A, back-up attitude indicator, RC Allen RCA2600-2, Garmin GTR225A or GNC255A VHF radio, remote distance measuring equipment (DME), and Garmin G3X integrated autopilot with GMC305 mode controller.

The aircraft can also be fitted with Garrecht TRX-1500 or Garmin GTS800 traffic avoidance system, L-3 Avionics WX-500 Stormscope, and Garmin Flight Stream 210 wireless interface.

Engine and performance details of the M108 light sport aircraft

The M108 light sport aircraft is powered by a single Rotax 912iS sport engine, which generates an output power of 73kW (100hp) at 5,800rpm. It has an engine displacement of 1,352cm³. The fuel capacity of the aircraft is 78l for the standard version and 110l for the long-range version. The fuel consumption range is 12 to 15 litres/h.

The aircraft flies at a cruise speed of 160-170km/h (85-90k), with a stall speed of 72km/h (39k) and never exceed speed of 222km/h (120k). It has a maximum range of 460nm (850km) and rate of climb of 950ft/min (4.75m/s). The take-off ground roll of the aircraft ranges between 80m and 130m.

The aircraft has an empty weight ranging between 330kg and 350kg (725-770lb), and maximum take-off weight of 600kg (1,320lb).