Thruster T600N Sprint - Keeping it simple

The latest version of the venerable Thruster, the T600N Sprint, the minimalist aeroplane.
Aircraft don’t come much simpler than a Thruster. A long-time favourite with flying schools and microlight pilots looking for the least expensive flying machine, both in purchase price and running costs, the Thruster is an absolute bargain compared with many of the latest hotships. The Thruster was designed as long ago as 1982 by a hang-glider pilot in Australia, Steve Cohen. The early models went through various stages but by the early 1990s, the Thruster TST was established as a sensible, slow, two-seat side-by-side microlight, selling well all over the world.

Then the UK distributor, Gordon Pill, obtained the rights to the design and started to build and develop the Thruster, establishing a factory at a hillside strip at Ginge, near Wantage in Oxfordshire. The cockpit became more enclosed, nose or tail wheel configurations were available and a range of two and four-stroke engines offered. The latest version is the T600N Sprint, powered by an 85hp fourstroke Jabiru engine and with full enclosure for the fuselage.

One of the many flying schools operating the Thruster Sprint is at Redlands Airfield, just on the outskirts of Swindon, a private strip operated by farmers Joe and Sarah Smith.

Mark Danek is the CFI and he started his pre-flight briefing by emphasizing how simple the Thruster is. “There are three power settings, climb, cruise and glide,” explained Mark. He drew three illustrations, showing the view in each attitude. The horizon passed through the compass in the climb, through the engine sump in the glide and halfway between the two in the cruise.

Looking straight ahead, there’s a triangle formed by two struts and you have to line up the runway or land feature just outside of that to steer straight ahead. Look out side to side to make sure the wings are level, and a rate 1 banked turn is when front strut attachment on the wing cuts through the horizon. It’s all about looking out in the minimal panel Thruster!

“We do everything at 55kt,” continued Mark, “with perhaps a bit more, 5kt, on the fi nal approach today because of the gusty wind. It will look scarily steep on approach compared with a Group A aircraft.”
Pre-flighting the Thruster makes you realise again how simple it is – just a collection of strategically mounted poles and struts covered by plastic fabric or plastic bodywork. It all hangs off a long aluminium tube, rather like a yacht mast, with the engine mounted at the front. The direct drive Jabiru engine sits slightly lower than the older Rotax engined version with a reduction gearbox, and runs cool, hence the Perspex guard in front of the sump. In winter, Mark packs in insulation as well to keep the oil hot. It’s a tight squeeze in the cockpit, and there’s little room for a notebook let alone baggage. The engine starts on the button and starts to warm up as we taxi to Redlands’ 06 grass runway, which luckily was pointing almost, but not quite, directly into the 20kt and gusting northerly wind.

Full power and we’re off in yards, but holding the aircraft in ground effect to build up speed. As 55kt comes up, we climb at around 800-1000ft/min. First surprise comes as we start to turn. Push the central stick over and the adverse yaw is extraordinary. The wing banks in the right direction but the nose swings in the opposite way. You have to use your feet in this aircraft, leading the bank with a touch of rudder.

Once at cruising altitude, we pulled the power back to 2200rpm and settled into a steady 55kt, although as we were heading into wind, progress over the ground was slow. We dropped in at Ginge, home of Thruster Air Services, for a chat then set off back southwestwards at a much faster groundspeed. On the way we practiced some steep turns – easy enough – and stalls, which showed a distinct wing drop at around 37kt but not in a ‘falling out of the sky’ way. Recovery was instant, with hardly any height loss. Back in the circuit at Redlands, it was clear the 20kt+ wind was a challenge.

Not for Mark or the aircraft with its highly effective controls, but for me getting used to the steep approach and the almost instant speed loss once the power is reduced. The idea is to keep height and speed until right over the threshold, come in at a much steeper angle than normal, adjust the power and angle as we pass through the changing wind gradient, and start the flare much closer to the ground. The last bit, the hold off, was a fine juggling act between power, drag and the wind, stick and rudder.

So where does this leave the Thruster T600N Sprint, a simple, robust aircraft with no frills, in an age when fixedwing microlights can rocket along at 85-100kt, carry small amounts of luggage and offer some concessions to comfort? Being direct about it, if you love low and slow, simple and cheap, go Thruster.

THRUSTER T600N PERFORMANCE
Vne 102kt
Cruise 65kt
Stall speed 37kt
Takeoff roll 150mt
Landing roll 150mt
Rate of climb 650ft/min
Fuel burn 11lt/hr
Cruise range 250nm
Power Jabiru 2200A, 4-cyl, 4-stroke producing 85bhp
Propeller Warp Drive 2-blade composite
Length 5.8mt
Height 2.4mt
Wingspan 9.6mt
Wing area 15.7 sq mt
Seats 2
Empty weight 256kg
Mtow 450kg
Max load 194kg
Fuel capacity 50 litres

Price: £23,995
Thuster Air Services
Malthouse
Ginge, near Wantage
Oxon. OX12 8QS

T. 01235 833 305
W. www.thruster.co.uk