Licence-free flexwing flying on a sub70 nanolight trike
The Snake flexwing nanolight trike is designed to take advantage of the CAA Exemption E4653, allowing powered, wheeled aircraft to be flown solo without a formal licence. The aircraft needs to weigh sub-70kg with full fuel (75kg with a parachute), stall at less than 20knots and carry adequate third party insurance. However, it can still be registered as a microlight if you already have a licence.
With historically low levels of depreciation and no need for a trailer or hangarage the Snake offers one of the most affordable routes into flexwing flying.
The trike
As the lightest trike on the UK market the Snake can be paired with more powerful engines and efficient double-surface wings, whilst still remaining legally below the sub-70 limit. Primarily constructed of 6082 T6 alloy with solid Ergal 7075 undercarriage legs, the Snake has been load tested to an amazing +6G with a 100kg pilot without any permanent deformation of the structure. The Snake also boasts the highest payload of any UK sub-70 trike.
The Snake folds up in minutes for easy transport in most cars, eliminating the cost and exposure involved with trailering. Simply remove the detachable 10litre fuel tank and 3 pins to fold the trike and remove the undercarriage legs. Furthermore, the trike geometry allows the wing basebar to be laid flat on the ground, simplifying the rigging process dramatically. A genuine 10-15 minute rigging time including both the trike and wing is easily achievable, making the Snake one of the most portable flexwing aircraft ever created.
The Snake comes with a nosewheel brake as standard. Incredibly strong solid main undercarriage legs eliminate the need for draggy bracing wires and also provide effective suspension on rough ground. The standard foam-core tyres are essentially puncture-proof. Optional tundra balloon tyres are available, but at a 6kg weight penalty.
The trike features ample ground clearance; useful when taxiing over long grass, and creating room for the Adventure under-slung luggage bag option for extended touring.
The Snake comes in a quality anodized aluminium finish with the chromoly steel sections powder coated in your choice of Blue, Green or Red. Special colour orders are available.
Engine options
Please see our Engine Options page to see the full range of engines and propellors available through Airplay.
Wing options
The Snake has been fully flight tested with the widest range of wings of any sub-70 nanolight currently on the UK market, made possible thanks to the extremely light weight of the trike. Take a look at our Wing Options page for more details.
Prices
To help simplify the wide range of choices available to you, we’ve built a price calculator to weigh up the various options.