Aircraft overview

The Pipistrel Virus is a Slovenian, composite, high wing, two seat light aircraft built by Pipistrel. The original Virus family entered production around 1999, with the shorter wing Virus SW following later as a faster development of the same concept. It is best understood as a light sport, microlight and ultralight class aircraft, depending on national certification and weight limits, rather than a conventional four seat touring aircraft. Its importance comes from combining low fuel burn, glider influenced aerodynamics and practical touring capability in a compact airframe.

Performance & specifications

Performance varies by variant, propeller, certification basis and engine installation. Virus SW models with Rotax 912 power are commonly quoted with cruise speeds in the 120 to 145 knot range, while longer wing versions are generally slower but more efficient. Typical touring range is often around 500 to 700 nautical miles with long range tanks and economy power settings. Useful load depends strongly on empty weight and the applicable 472.5 kg, 525 kg or 600 kg class limit, so buyers should check the actual weight and balance report rather than brochure figures. Powerplants are usually Rotax 912 series engines, including 80 hp and 100 hp versions, with some later aircraft using fuel injected Rotax 912 iS installations. Published service ceiling figures for Virus SW variants can exceed 15,000 feet.

Cabin & avionics

The Virus has side by side seating for two, dual controls and a clean, compact cockpit with good outward visibility from the high wing layout. Baggage capacity is modest and should be checked against weight limits, especially on aircraft fitted with parachute systems, larger avionics panels or additional equipment. Avionics are not standardized across the fleet. Used examples may have simple analogue instruments, Kanardia or LX style displays, Dynon SkyView, Garmin G3X, radio, transponder and engine monitoring. Garmin Perspective and G1000 installations are not typical for the Pipistrel Virus.

Buying & value

For used buyers, the key checks are airframe hours, Rotax maintenance history, propeller condition, parachute repack status if fitted, composite repairs, landing gear wear and compliance with local microlight or light sport rules. Common variants include the Virus 912, Virus SW, Virus SW 100 and certified Virus SW 121. Desirable upgrades often include modern glass avionics, 8.33 kHz radio, Mode S transponder, ADS-B equipment where required and documented factory support. In current PlaneFox listing data, asking prices average about EUR 98,000, with a broad range from roughly EUR 49,000 to EUR 165,000, reflecting age, variant, avionics, engine time and certification status.