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Design
Features
Design
Wings
Fuselage
Cabin
Tail
Photo Updates 1
Photo Updates 2
Photo Updates
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The ZODIAC CH 640 four-seat kit aircraft is based in large part on Chris Heintz' ZENITH CH 2000 aircraft design, a versatile two-seat production aircraft. The modern design makes use of advanced technologies, while using proven design concepts and simple systems for easy assembly and maintenance. Developed for the first-time builder and demanding recreational pilot, the CH 640 has been developed to be easy to build and to maximize flight performance and efficiency.
Based on the
Type-Certificated ZENITH CH 2000:
While most production aircraft are relatively complicated and would not be
well suited for construction by amateurs, the CH 2000 aircraft was designed to be the least-expensive type-certified aircraft in the world.
To achieve this designer Chris Heintz made the aircraft parts and assemblies
simple by drawing on his extensive experience producing kit aircraft for
first-time builders. This simplicity has made the aircraft not only easy
and affordable to build, but also easy to maintain and has kept the cost of replacement parts lower than originally thought possible.
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"[Chris
Heintz] designs have earned an excellent reputation among
pilots, builders, and aviation authorities for their durable
all-metal construction, normal flight characteristics,
reliability, and low maintenance." |
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The CH 2000 aircraft was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on July 31, 1994 with the issuance of Type Certificate No. TA5CH. The CH 2000, as presently produced, is approved for spins, and when configured with the appropriate option package, is certified for IFR operation.
Certified in the Utility Category (+4.4 / -2.2 g at max. gross weight), the aircraft was designed with a design safety factor of two, compared to 1.5 for standard FAR 23 certified aircraft. The extra safety factor gives the aircraft +8.8/-4.4G ultimate load factor. Recently, the CH2000 was the first aircraft to be fully approved by the new European Certification Committee, certifying the aircraft in all European countries simultaneously.
The CH 2000 airframe has no " life time limit" since it has been proven that if an aircraft is designed by using classic construction methods and materials, and if the design safety margin is 2, it will not fatigue appreciably during its projected lifetime.
While a two-seater, the CH 2000 design features a large cabin and easy-access dual gull-wing doors. The ZODIAC CH 640 features a redesigned cabin with the addition of rear seats and a larger wing and stabilator were designed for the additional load requirements of the four-seat ZODIAC CH 640.
The ZODIAC CH 640 aircraft is built of stressed-skin semi-monocoque all-metal construction, just like today’s factory-built planes, but adapted specifically for the kit builder. Sheet-metal construction is outstandingly the most widely used aircraft building method around the world, and has proven itself as the ideal aircraft material since the early pioneering days of aviation.
The simple stressed-skin semi-monocoque construction of the ZODIAC CH 640 uses single curvature sheet-metal skins riveted to internal structural members.
The sheet-metal skins, main wing spar, structural ribs,
longerons, stiffeners and bulkheads are fastened together with Zenith’s proven
riveting method using blind rivets, which are as easy to set as
‘pop’ rivets, requiring only a simple hand rivet puller. The
corrosion-resistant rivets provide a permanent structural bond and tight low-profile dome finish, formed
by the custom riveter head. The rivet stem becomes locked in after being set to provide a
water-tight seal. The 1/8-inch
and 5/32-inch Avex rivets
used are very sturdy and durable fasteners, and may be used over a wide grip area. The
blind rivets are much easier and quicker to set than bucked rivets, and don’t require
the use of a noisy pneumatic rivet hammer or counter-sunk rivet holes.
The primary structure, with the exception of the steel tube engine mount, steel nose gear strut, and other selected parts, is of 6061-T6 aluminum sheet metal riveted to aluminum extrusions with Avex rivets. This blind rivet, manufactured by Textron's Avdel division, is similar to the traditional " Cherry" rivets except that they can be pulled with any standard blind rivet gun. Major structural items such as the wing spar and landing gear fuselage support are solid riveted at the factory with standard MS20470 aluminum rivets. Other hardware such as cotter pins, rivnuts, bolts, washers, nuts and control hardware are the AN/MS type. Some composites are used on non structural fairings such as the engine cowling and wing tips.
- Related Info: All-Metal Construction Made Easy
Simple systems, modern materials, and design ingenuity minimize required maintenance, and make the ZODIAC CH 640 simple to build and fly, affordable, and very durable... an aircraft you'll be proud to own and fly for many years.
While the ZODIAC CH 640 design is new, the simple construction techniques that have made the Heintz designs famous have remained the same.
Construction of the CH 640 kit aircraft is ‘modular’ – each section of the aircraft is built separately on a workbench. Many builders thus choose to buy ‘component kits,’ purchasing kit sections as they progress through the project. The modular construction of the kit means that required workshop space is minimal – most builders construct the kit in a single-car garage or basement workshop.
Once all the airframe sections have been assembled, the wing and tail sections are bolted to the fuselage and the landing gear, controls, and fuel system are installed.
The aircraft was designed with extra large maintenance access panels in the wings, and fuselage. Under the rear fuselage, there is a huge 2x2 feet square access panel which gives easy access to the control cables, the flap motor and spar.
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NOTE: While the ZODIAC CH 640 design is based on the Zenith CH 2000 type-certificated aircraft, the ZODIAC CH 640 design and kit is not certified, certificated or approved by the FAA. The ZODIAC CH 640 is being offered as a kit, to be constructed by the owner as an amateur-built "experimental" aircraft. Click here for more information. |
Additional design information:
Update: 17 Oct 2007
Manufactured
and Represented by:
Zenair Ltd.
PO Box 235, Huronia
Airport
Midland, Ontario, Canada L4R 4K8
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