Taurus M

The Pipistrel Taurus is a two-seat ultralight motor glider with side-by-side seating and a retractable engine. According to Wikipedia production started in 2002, the first flight was in 2004, and around 100 aircraft of the Taurus family had been delivered by 2011. In Germany the Taurus holds DULV type approval; the manufacturer's country overview lists type certificate no. 716-08 1 for it. The designations found on the market – "Taurus", "Taurus 503" and "Taurus M" – all refer to the same aircraft: once the Rotax 503 went out of production, Pipistrel marketed it as the "Taurus M".

The airframe is all-composite. The manufacturer quotes a 14.97 m span, 12.33 m² of wing and an aspect ratio of 18.6; for the same wing the Taurus Information Pack and the Sinus flight manual state 12.26 m² and 18.3, so the factory figure cannot be reproduced from the dimensions. Several positive flap settings plus a negative one let the pilot trim the wing for climb or cruise. The twin main gear retracts, so the Taurus can be handled on the ground and flown solo without helpers. Alongside the powered version there is the unpowered Taurus PureGlider, the electric Taurus Electro and Electro G2, plus the one-off four-seat twin-fuselage Taurus G4 and the HY4 hydrogen fuel-cell demonstrator.

In the air the Taurus is a genuine sailplane with a get-home engine: the manufacturer quotes a best glide of 1:41 at 115 km/h, 1:32 at 150 km/h and a minimum sink of 0.70 m/s. Under power at MTOW it climbs at 2.9 m/s, needs 180 m of ground roll and 265 m over a 15 m obstacle, and reaches a service ceiling of 3,900 m. VNE is 225 km/h, manoeuvring speed 163 km/h, and it stalls at 63 km/h with flaps and 71 km/h clean. A 45°-to-45° roll time of 3.5 s shows how nimble the airframe remains despite the long span. At full throttle the engine burns about 18 l/h; aerotow is limited to 107 km/h.

Its strengths are self-launching without a winch or tug, solo-friendly ground handling and glide performance that is exceptional for an ultralight; load limits are +5.33 g / -2.65 g, and a ballistic whole-aircraft parachute is part of the concept. The weaknesses are equally clear: the Rotax 503 is a two-stroke no longer built by Rotax, so parts supply, ignition condition and overhaul history matter when buying. Power ratings vary by source: Rotax rates the 503 at a nominal 37 kW (50 hp), while Pipistrel quotes 53 hp at 6,800 rpm for the Taurus installation. Pipistrel's current product page publishes neither a cruise speed nor a powered range for the Taurus M. The manufacturer lists three take-off weights (450 / 472.5 / 550 kg); which one applies to a given aircraft is stated in its paperwork, and in the German ultralight class the registered figure caps useful load. Minimum pilot weight is 90 kg without nose ballast or 69 kg with the optional ballast, so light pilots must add weight.

The Taurus M suits sailplane pilots who want independence from winch and tug operations, and anyone who wants to go thermalling with a second person aboard. Pilots looking for a cross-country touring ultralight are far better served by the Virus SW 600 D.