The Sparrow Family
Carlson Sparrow Sport Special
A single-seat, tailwheel Sparrow built as an experimental aircraft with more power and more fuel.
Sparrow Sport Special
Carlson archive photograph to be added
- Seats
- 1
- Category
- Experimental amateur-built
- Landing gear
- Conventional (tailwheel)
- Historical engine
- Rotax 503
- 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 Sparrow as a taildragger
The Sport Special took the single-seat Sparrow and gave it conventional landing gear, a larger engine, and more fuel. Freed from the limits of the ultralight category, it was built and registered as an experimental amateur-built aircraft.
The result keeps the Sparrow’s welded steel-tube fuselage, strut-braced high wing, and enclosed cockpit, with the handling and ground presence of a classic tailwheel airplane. The Rotax 503 twin-cylinder two-stroke is the engine most often associated with the model.
For pilots who want a one-person airplane with the traditional feel of a taildragger, the Sport Special remains one of the more distinctive members of the Sparrow family.
Specifications
Sparrow Sport Special 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 Sport Special. 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Published specifications are historical reference figures and may vary by aircraft, engine, configuration, builder, and year.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 Sport Special is built
Fuselage
Welded 4130 steel-tube fuselage, shared in concept with the rest of the Sparrow family.
Wing and covering
Strut-braced high wing with aluminum spars and ribs, fabric covered. Reference figures list a shorter span than the Sparrow Ultralight wing.
Landing gear
Conventional (tailwheel) landing gear distinguishes the Sport Special from the tricycle-gear Sparrows.
Known engine installations
Engines historically associated with the Sparrow Sport Special. This is a historical record, not a list of currently approved or supported installations.
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Rotax 503
Twin-cylinder two-stroke, approximately 50 hp.
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.