Start here
A few places to begin, from the aircraft’s story to the people who fly it.
Meet the aircraft
Pipistrel developed the Virus family in Slovenia around a lightweight high-wing airframe, fixed landing gear and enclosed side-by-side two-seat cockpit. Versions have been supplied under different light-aircraft categories and construction arrangements.
Aircraft background
Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗A radio fumble gives way to an evening’s flying
Unwin’s photographic flight began less smoothly than he would have liked. While trying to coordinate with the EuroFox carrying the photographer, he fumbled the radio’s frequency transfer and provoked some impatience from the other aircraft. Deepak Mahajan’s compliment about professional flying left him privately amused by the contrast with his own performance.
Pilot · May 2020 web publication. June 2019 SW121 flight from Saltby with Deepak Mahajan; Dutch-registered aircraft, distinct from the Alpha flown earlier that afternoon.
Pilot · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube Pipistrel Aircraft · 3 min ·
Pipistrel Virus SW 121 | EASA-approved for intentional spins and UPRT training
Pipistrel presents a Virus SW 121 spin demonstration in the real aircraft.
Real aircraft · Pipistrel Virus SW 121
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet Pipistrel Virus SW 121
Pipistrel developed the Virus family in Slovenia around a lightweight high-wing airframe, fixed landing gear and enclosed side-by-side two-seat cockpit. Versions have been supplied under different light-aircraft categories and construction arrangements.
The SW 121 has its own wing, engine and cockpit configuration. The developer documents the equipment represented in the simulator.
Pipistrel Virus SW 121
Aircraft type designators
Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.
History & design
Shared ownership brings several kinds of flying together
Koch’s 2017 report describes the SW121 shared by Melanie and Frank Demelius and professor Rudolf Mathar. Their aircraft served personal travel and glider towing, with ownership connecting people whose professional lives otherwise kept them in different places.
aerokurier · Pilot Report: Pipistrel Virus SW 121 LSA ↗Owners and uses described in the contemporary report
Development milestones
First flight: August 10, 1999 ( 1999-08-10 )
Developed from: Pipistrel Sinus
Wikipedia contributors · Pipistrel Virus ↗Pipistrel Virus · family/variant named by the source · Wikipedia revision 1361645427
Pilot accounts
A radio fumble gives way to an evening’s flying
Unwin’s photographic flight began less smoothly than he would have liked. While trying to coordinate with the EuroFox carrying the photographer, he fumbled the radio’s frequency transfer and provoked some impatience from the other aircraft. Deepak Mahajan’s compliment about professional flying left him privately amused by the contrast with his own performance.
Later, softer evening air made holding formation easier and allowed the photographic work to go more comfortably. With that finished, Unwin and Mahajan had time to enjoy the surroundings, visiting the views around Belvoir Castle and Harlaxton Manor. They returned for touch-and-goes with the airfield quiet.
Pilot · May 2020 web publication. June 2019 SW121 flight from Saltby with Deepak Mahajan; Dutch-registered aircraft, distinct from the Alpha flown earlier that afternoon.
Read the full account · Pilot ↗An owner shares her aircraft, then supplies the glider tow
Melanie Demelius introduced Koch to the aircraft she shared with Frank Demelius and Rudolf Mathar. Her airline background showed in an orderly approach to the checklist, something Koch recognised from his own professional flying. After she made the departure, he took the controls and enjoyed the Virus’s responsive turns, while finding the flap lever less convenient for his elbow.
The visit then changed aircraft and perspective. Koch moved into the front seat of an ASK 21 with Frank behind him, while Melanie used the Virus to tow them airborne. The owners’ hospitality let him experience two sides of their flying: first handling the powered aircraft, then watching it work ahead of a glider. The tow leg was Melanie’s Virus flight, with Koch flying the glider.
aerokurier · 2017. SW121 demonstration at Schmallenberg-Rennefeld with Melanie Demelius, followed by Koch flying an ASK 21 glider; Demelius flew the Virus on the tow.
Read the full account · aerokurier ↗The view compensates for somewhere awkward to keep a snack
Lyons particularly liked the view through the Virus’s glazed doors and over its short nose. Having mainly flown low-wing aircraft, he appreciated the different connection with the landscape below. For him, the attraction of a travelling aeroplane included being able to enjoy what passed outside, as well as reaching the destination.
A smaller detail was less welcome: the baggage compartment could not be reached from the cockpit. He was accustomed to retrieving a water bottle or snack from behind the seats and found the change frustrating until he adjusted. His review also describes responsive controls with comparatively heavier roll effort. Those personal preferences give practical texture to his enthusiasm without establishing a particular journey or flight-test programme.
SportPilot · January 2023. First-person review of the Virus SW 100, with the 912 ULS installation; not the SW121. No specific flight date, registration or location is established in the article.
Read the full account · SportPilot ↗In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
Compare simulator versions →MSFS 2024Virus SW121
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
Virus SW121
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
MSFS 2020Virus SW 121
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
Virus SW 121
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
Aircraft specifications
Published figures for the named real-aircraft variant. Simulator equipment and performance can differ.
| Specification | Published value |
|---|---|
| Length | 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in) |
| Wingspan | 10.71 m (35 ft 2 in) |
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Wing area | 9.51 m² (102.4 sq ft) |
| Empty weight | 289 kg (637 lb) |
| Max takeoff weight | 600 kg (1,323 lb) |
| Powerplant | 1 × Rotax 912 ULS , 75 kW (100 hp) |
| Maximum speed | 283 km/h (176 mph, 153 kn) |
| Cruise speed | 273 km/h (170 mph, 147 kn) at 75% power |
| Stall speed | 79 km/h (49 mph, 43 kn) without flaps |
| Range | 1,450 km (900 mi, 780 nmi) |
| Service ceiling | 6,800 m (22,300 ft) |
| Rate of climb | 8.4 m/s (1,650 ft/min) |
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Pilot account
A radio fumble gives way to an evening’s flyingPilot · May 2020 web publication. June 2019 SW121 flight from Saltby with Deepak Mahajan; Dutch-registered aircraft, distinct from the Alpha flown earlier that afternoon.
Unwin’s photographic flight began less smoothly than he would have liked. While trying to coordinate with the EuroFox carrying the photographer, he fumbled the radio’s frequency transfer and provoked some impatience from the other aircraft. Deepak Mahajan’s compliment about professional flying left him privately amused by the contrast with his own performance. Later, softer evening air made holding formation easier and allowed the photographic work to go more comfortably.
Dave Unwin
Pilot · Read the source ↗An owner shares her aircraft, then supplies the glider towaerokurier · 2017. SW121 demonstration at Schmallenberg-Rennefeld with Melanie Demelius, followed by Koch flying an ASK 21 glider; Demelius flew the Virus on the tow.
Melanie Demelius introduced Koch to the aircraft she shared with Frank Demelius and Rudolf Mathar. Her airline background showed in an orderly approach to the checklist, something Koch recognised from his own professional flying. After she made the departure, he took the controls and enjoyed the Virus’s responsive turns, while finding the flap lever less convenient for his elbow. The visit then changed aircraft and perspective.
Markus Koch
aerokurier · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Manual
Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft manualsMicrosoft / aircraft developersAircraft background
Pipistrel VirusWikipedia contributors · Research background · Wikipedia revision 1361645427 · retrieved 2026-09-12Resource
MSFS 2024 FAQ and edition aircraft inventoryMicrosoft MSFS 2020 FAQ and edition aircraft inventoryMicrosoftType designator
ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03Built-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 1 profile choice
Pipistrel Virus SW 121
Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Review pending
MSFS 2024 · MSFS 2020
Pipistrel Virus SW 121: The profile supplies selected light-aircraft stick resistance.
Pipistrel Virus SW 121
Pipistrel Virus SW 121: The profile supplies selected light-aircraft stick resistance.
Aircraft and simulator scope
- Pipistrel Virus SW 121 · MSFS 2024 · family starting point
- Pipistrel Virus SW 121 · MSFS 2020 · family starting point
Pipistrel Virus SW 121 · Family sources identify only the variants and product versions described above.
The simulator model and controls
Pipistrel developed the Virus family in Slovenia around a lightweight high-wing airframe, fixed landing gear and enclosed side-by-side two-seat cockpit. Versions have been supplied under different light-aircraft categories and construction arrangements.
This starting point selects Pipistrel Virus SW 121. Its aircraft-level settings do not select a particular developer’s custom systems.
How this profile feels
The profile supplies selected light-aircraft stick resistance. Spring resistance builds with the selected airspeed response. A separate aerodynamic term adds speed-dependent control load.
Pitch relief stays with the SW121 profile’s trim authority. Valid trim provides the configured pressure relief. Autopilot following is off.
Controls and trim
The Virus SW121 is a specific light-aircraft configuration with an enclosed side-by-side cockpit and fixed gear. Its wing, engine and instruments retain their own model scope within Pipistrel’s wider Virus programme.
About the values
The gains are normalized profile settings. They describe the chosen effect balance; hand force depends on the device and its output limits. IAS references are tuning values rather than operating limits. Physical acceptance of this revision remains pending.
Documentary review and sources
These decisions describe the documentary basis and remaining gaps for this revision. Aircraft documentation and a starting setting describe different kinds of evidence.
Aircraft and variant
Not yet reviewedThis starting point selects Pipistrel Virus SW 121. Its aircraft-level settings do not select a particular developer’s custom systems.
Flight controls
Not yet reviewedThe Virus SW121 is a specific light-aircraft configuration with an enclosed side-by-side cockpit and fixed gear. Its wing, engine and instruments retain their own model scope within Pipistrel’s wider Virus programme.
Trim
Not yet reviewedPitch relief stays with the SW121 profile’s trim authority. Pitch authority 0.3 provides load relief and permitted centre movement; roll authority is 0.
Autopilot and stability
Not yet reviewedAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel.
Equipment
Not yet reviewedGear, flap and ground cues follow the selected settings and available simulator-reported states.
Speeds and limits
Not yet reviewedThe indicated-speed references set the profile response scale; they are separate from aircraft operating limits.
Simulator integration
Not yet reviewedThe profile targets msfs2024, msfs2020. Add-on-specific controls use only the supported references configured by this profile.
Force-feedback settings
Not yet reviewedThe settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
Starting settings and their rationale
These configured values are starting estimates. The explanations describe what each setting controls; physical validation appears separately below.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.74 | What it controls and whyThe profile supplies selected light-aircraft stick resistance. The baseline spring is 0.74. Its low-speed blend reaches baseline strength at 52.5 KIAS. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.8 | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.8 with an indicated-speed reference of 105 KIAS. This supplies speed-dependent loading alongside the spring. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value105.0 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value52.5 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value0.72 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.72 and 1, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value1.0 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
All 44 starting settings and their rationale
The settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.74 | What it controls and whyThe profile supplies selected light-aircraft stick resistance. The baseline spring is 0.74. Its low-speed blend reaches baseline strength at 52.5 KIAS. |
| Spring deadband | Starting value0.045 | What it controls and whySets travel around the centre before the baseline spring resists. Smaller values engage it sooner. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.8 | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.8 with an indicated-speed reference of 105 KIAS. This supplies speed-dependent loading alongside the spring. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| QBlend Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows baseline spring strength to rise with indicated airspeed where the control law permits it. |
| QSpring Minimum Factor | Starting value0.5 | What it controls and whySets low-speed spring strength as a fraction of baseline when blending is enabled. One keeps full strength. |
| QSpring Start Knots | Starting value14.7 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed spring blend starts rising. This is a feel threshold, not a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value52.5 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value105.0 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening gain | Starting value0.15 | What it controls and whyThe high-speed spring-stiffening gain is 0.15. It strengthens the permitted spring response above 52.5 KIAS, with the squared-speed ratio capped at 5. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening limit | Starting value5 | What it controls and whyLimits the squared airspeed ratio used for high-speed spring stiffening; it is not a device-force cap. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value0.72 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.72 and 1, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value1.0 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Elevator Authority | Starting value0.3 | What it controls and whyPitch relief stays with the SW121 profile’s trim authority. Pitch authority 0.3 provides load relief and permitted centre movement; roll authority is 0. |
| Aileron Authority | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyScales supported roll-trim relief and permitted centre movement. Zero removes roll response. |
| Force Trim Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables local force trim, separate from aircraft-owned trim and add-on integration qualification. |
| GLoad Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows load-factor changes to modify permitted spring laws. Passive fly-by-wire feel can suppress it. |
| Rate Damping Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables rate damping with the configured coefficients and control law. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
| Autopilot follow authority | Starting value0.1 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP-follow gain, not a percentage of travel. Runtime ownership and input limits still apply. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Autopilot neutral hold strength | Starting value0.6 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP neutral-hold strength; inactive while neutral hold is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables aerodynamic cues; each still needs nonzero strength and its simulator conditions. |
| Gain | Starting value0.35 | What it controls and whySets stall-buffet strength. Zero removes the cue without changing simulator stalls or warnings. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets high-Mach buffet strength; onset and full-strength thresholds are separate. |
| Gain | Starting value0.14 | What it controls and whySets flap buffet at the configured position and speed gates. Flap movement texture is separate. |
| Maximum flap index | Starting value4 | What it controls and whySets the final flap index for detent normalization. UP plus three detents uses maximum index3. |
| Minimum flap index | Starting value2 | What it controls and whySets the first flap detent that admits buffet; this is a handle index, not degrees. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets gear aerodynamic buffet; movement and ground-contact cues are separate. |
| Shaker Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits shaker at supported warning conditions; the switch does not establish aircraft equipment. |
| Stick shaker amplitude | Starting value0.5 | What it controls and whySets triggered shaker strength; inactive while the shaker feature is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables ground effects; each still needs its own strength and contact or motion telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0.4 | What it controls and whySets rolling texture strength, modified by speed, surface and undercarriage configuration. |
| Gain | Starting value0.25 | What it controls and whySets gear-bump texture during ground motion, separate from touchdown impact. |
| Gain | Starting value0.65 | What it controls and whySets landing-impact strength; landing telemetry and response shape determine the pulse. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets reverse-thrust vibration with valid reverser and engine conditions. Zero removes the cue. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables engine cues with nonzero settings and valid running-engine telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets estimated engine vibration using configured telemetry and response, not measured cockpit vibration. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables accessory cues with configured strengths and observed accessory movement. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed flap movement; a command without movement does not establish the cue. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed gear movement, separate from aerodynamic and touchdown effects. |
Limits and open questions
- Selected Virus SW 121 source is a hosted POH index, not fully inspected page bodies.
- Flaperon/airbrake mechanism needs applicable readable POH sections.
- Indexed electric-trim failures do not establish normal force authority.
- Indexed AP section is not installed servo equipment or demand semantics.
- SW121 flap/airbrake schedule remains unresolved.
- No page-body IAS schedule was reviewed from the index.
- An index does not qualify negative-flap signals.
- Light-trainer/negative-camber strengths remain estimates without measured forces.
Physical validation
No physical force validation is recorded in this public catalogue for this revision. Documentary review and software checks do not establish how a particular device feels.
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