RON SMITH COLLECTION
No. 12226. Urban Air Samba XXL (OK-JUA-03)
Photographed at Henstridge, UK, by Ron Smith

Urban Air Samba XXL

12/31/2013. Remarks by Walter van Tilborg: "The Samba was a product of Urban Air SrO of the Czech Republic and was developed under the leadership of Pavel Urban. The design borrowed much of the fuselage and cockpit section of the earlier Lambada light motor glider, but had new and reduced span wings, a tricycle type landing gear and the T-tail was replaced by a more conventional tail plane section.

A prototype aircraft first flew in June 1999 and the type became popular worldwide and was also marketed in the USA as Light Sport Aircraft. The original version as built by Urban Air SrO was named the UFM-10 Samba and baseline engine was an 80 hp Rotax 912.

In 2004 a much improved Samba XXL was introduced into production and this mainly differed in having a redesigned cockpit section with a new canopy and also aerodynamic improvements were made to the tail surfaces, engine cowling. Around 2010 the marketing of the Samba was taken over by Distar Air a.s., also in the Czech Republic.

The Samba has an all-composite construction and engine options include the 95 hp UL260i, 100 hp Rotax 912ULS, 80 hp Jabiru 2200. Other options include a towing device (for gliders), a BRS (ballistic recovery system) and removable wing extensions. By 2013 well over 150 aircraft had been delivered and the Samba is available as a kit or as factory assembled aircraft."


Created December 31, 2013