The Sparrow Family
Carlson Sparrow Ultralight
The original single-seat Carlson Sparrow, designed around FAR Part 103 ultralight flying.
Sparrow Ultralight
Carlson archive photograph to be added
- Seats
- 1
- Category
- Ultralight (designed for FAR Part 103)
- Landing gear
- Tricycle
- Historical engine
- Rotax 277
- Construction
- 4130 steel-tube fuselage, aluminum wing, fabric covered
Legacy fleet supported. Contact Carlson Aircraft regarding current kit, component, plan, and support availability.
Overview
The airplane that started Carlson Aircraft
Ernie Carlson introduced the Sparrow in 1987, and it won Grand Champion recognition at Oshkosh the same year. The idea was straightforward: an ultralight that flew and felt like a real airplane, with a welded steel-tube fuselage, strut-braced high wing, and a fully enclosed cockpit at a time when many ultralights left the pilot sitting in the open.
The Sparrow Ultralight was designed to fit within the weight, fuel, and speed limits of FAR Part 103, which governs ultralight vehicles in the United States. Historically it was flown with the two-stroke Rotax 277, a light, simple engine well suited to the category.
Every later Sparrow — the Sport Special, the two-seat Sparrow II, and the higher-powered Sparrow II XTC — traces directly back to this airplane.
Specifications
Sparrow Ultralight Specifications
Reference figures from historical Carlson and aviation publications. Figures vary with engine, configuration, and the individual aircraft.
Specifications being verified
Carlson Aircraft is reviewing original factory documentation for the Sparrow Ultralight. Verified specifications will be published here once that review is complete. For questions about a specific aircraft, contact us.
Published specifications are historical reference figures and may vary by aircraft, engine, configuration, builder, and year. Builders and operators should refer to the applicable Carlson Aircraft documentation for their individual aircraft.
Design & Construction
How the Sparrow Ultralight is built
Fuselage
The fuselage is a welded 4130 chromoly steel-tube structure, giving the Sparrow a rigid, durable airframe and a protective structure around the pilot.
Wing and covering
The strut-braced high wing is built around dual aluminum I-beam spars with stamped aluminum ribs and is fabric covered. V-struts with jury struts carry the wing loads to the fuselage.
Cockpit
A fully enclosed cockpit was one of the features that set the Sparrow apart from many ultralights of its era.
Landing gear
Tricycle landing gear with bungee suspension on the main gear.
Known engine installations
Engines historically associated with the Sparrow Ultralight. This is a historical record, not a list of currently approved or supported installations.
-
Rotax 277
Single-cylinder two-stroke; the engine most associated with the Sparrow Ultralight.
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Rotax 503 (optional)
Listed as an option by secondary sources. An installation of this engine may affect Part 103 eligibility.
More of the Sparrow family
Interested in This Aircraft?
Carlson Aircraft is working to preserve these designs and support the people who continue to build, fly, restore, and maintain them. Contact us and tell us which aircraft you are interested in.