Sportavia-Pützer RS 180 Sportsman
| Company type | Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1966 |
| Fate | Absorbed by Rhein-Flugzeugbau (RFB) in 1980 |
| Successor | Rhein-Flugzeugbau (RFB) |
| Headquarters | Germany |
The Sportavia-Pützer RS-180 Sportsman is a German-made four-seat sport aircraft that emerged in the late 1970s.
Its design incorporates a traditional low-wing cantilever monoplane configuration, equipped with a fixed tricycle landing gear. The seating layout accommodates 2+2 passengers beneath an expansive bubble canopy. Constructed primarily from wood, the airframe is sheathed in plywood and finished with an external fibreglass layer.
Design and development
Founded in 1966, Sportavia-Pützer took over production of René Fournier’s light aircraft designs before becoming part of Rhein-Flugzeugbau (RFB) in 1976.
In 1970, Fournier initiated the design of a four-seat model named the Sportsman. Its initial prototype took flight in March 1973, followed by a completely reworked second prototype, the RF-6C Sportsman, which flew in April 1976 and began series production later that year. After a fatal accident in 1977, the aircraft underwent significant modifications—including changes to the tail assembly, wing profile adjustments, and elimination of downward-turned wingtips—and was subsequently renamed RS-180 Sportsman. German type certification was granted in 1978.
The RS-180 maintained its wooden low-wing cantilever structure with a fibreglass exterior and featured a fixed nosewheel landing gear with fairings. The cabin offers generous space under a prominent bubble canopy.
By late 1980, Sportavia-Pützer was fully absorbed by RFB, and the RS-180 was redesignated as the RFB RS-180 Sportsman. Production ended in early 1981 after fewer than twenty units had been manufactured.
References
- Barnett, Cliff; Field, Hugh; Hurst, Mike; Lambert, Mark; Moll, Nigel; Richardson, Doug. "Hanover Review," Flight International, 13 May 1978, pp. 1436–48.
- Aviation Magazine International, "Certification du RS 180 Sportsman," 1978, p. 42.
- Simpson, R.W., Airlife's General Aviation, Airlife, 1995.
- Mondey, David, Encyclopedia of The World's Commercial and Private Aircraft, Crescent Books, 1981, p. 218.
- Taylor, John W.R., Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1977–78, Jane's Yearbooks, 1977.
- Taylor, Michael J.H., Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation, Studio Editions, 1989.
- Flight International, "Team Test 43: Sportavia RS 180," 12 January 1980, pp. 88–95.
- Wurster, Rolf, 50 Jahre Deutsche Motorflugzeuge, Books on Demand, 2001.