Quad City Challenger
 Quad City Challenger. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Quad City |
|---|---|
| Model | Quad City Challenger |
| Type | Ultralight aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | 1983 |
| Built | 1983-present |
| Status | In production (2018) |
| Number built | 3,571 (2011) |
| Registered in the US | 754 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | one, one passenger and 500 lb (227 kg) useful load |
| Engine | Rotax 503, 50 hp |
| Cruise speed | 85 mph (Challenger II)
|
| Max weight | 960 lb (Challenger II)
|
| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Quad City Challenger is a family of one- and two-seat ultralight and light-sport kit airplanes with a pusher engine, built by Quad City Aircraft Corporation of Moline, Illinois, since 1983.[1] In the U.S. there are 754 with a valid registration, most of them two-seat Challenger IIs.[2]
History
The Challenger has a high wing, tricycle landing gear and a frame of 6061-T6 aluminum tubing joined with aircraft bolts and rivets, covered in Dacron envelopes or aircraft fabric. The engine sits behind the cabin and turns the propeller through a cogged rubber belt reduction drive.[1] The kit comes in four parts (tail, fuselage, wings and engine), with the hardest work already done at the factory.[1]
Models
- Challenger I: one seat, 31.5 ft wing; with a 22 hp Hirth engine it can fly as a U.S. Part 103 ultralight. About 800 were reported flying by 2011.[1]
- Challenger I Special: one seat with a shorter 26 ft wing for faster roll; about 300 flying by 2011.[1]
- Challenger II: two seats in tandem, 31.5 ft wing, can be fitted with floats; Rotax 447, 503, 582 or HKS engines.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 754 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| CHALLENGER II | 558 |
| CHALLENGER 2 | 26 |
| CHALLENGER I | 24 |
| CHALLENGER | 21 |
| CHALLENGER II SPEC | 18 |
| CHALLENGER 1 | 15 |
| CHALLENGER II CWS | 11 |
| CHALLENGER II SPECIA | 7 |
| CHALLENGER II LSS | 6 |
| CHALLENGER II CW | 6 |
| CHALLENGER II LW | 4 |
| CHALLENGER SPECIAL | 3 |
| CHALLENGER II CLIP W | 3 |
| CHALLENGER 2 PLACE | 3 |
| CHALLENGER II CLP WG | 3 |
| CHALLENGER CWS | 2 |
| CHALLENGER II STANDA | 2 |
| CHALLENGER IISPECIAL | 2 |
| CHALLENGER II XL65 | 2 |
| CHALLENGER II XL-65 | 2 |
| 35 other model names | 36 |
Specifications (Challenger II)
| Item | Challenger II |
|---|---|
| Crew | one |
| Passengers / capacity | one passenger and 500 lb (227 kg) useful load |
| Length | 20 ft |
| Wingspan | 31 ft 6 in |
| Height | 6 ft |
| Wing area | 177 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 460 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 960 lb |
| Engine | Rotax 503, 50 hp (twin cylinder, inline, two stroke, piston aircraft engine) |
| Maximum speed | 96 mph |
| Cruise speed | 85 mph |
| Stall speed | 28 mph |
| Never-exceed speed | 100 mph |
| Rate of climb | 750 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Quad City Challenger. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
Quad City Challenger. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
Quad City Challenger. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
Quad City Challenger. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
Quad City Challenger. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Quad City Challenger
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Wikipedia, "Quad City Challenger", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.