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Aviation History
1982
1982 - 2033.PDF
Wings and developments for the future OSHKOSH '82 New developments rather than new de signs were predominant at Oshkosh this year, although there were several dis tinctive new shapes in the sky and on the ground. A pressurised single-engined turbo prop arrived from Kansas in the shape of the Smith Prop-Jet. Produced by Mike Smith Speed Conversions, it seats six in a carbon graphite composite fuselage with a T-tail and wings which are essen tially those of a Beech Baron 58P. Powerplant is a 850 s.h.p. PT6A. Pitts Aerobatics brought its nearly complete Pitts S-2B prototype for display in the indoor exhibition. This is a higher- powered version of the two-seat. S.2A (previously used by the Rothmans team) with a 260 h.p. Lycoming. The extra weight has meant moving the wings and landing gear struts about four inches forward. It has more room in the front and should be able to fly unlimited class competition aerobatics with two on board. First flight should be inside a month and basic ready-to-fly price will be $62,000. Pitts currently builds an average of one aircraft a month. Present produc tion range are the 180 h.p. single-seat S.1S ($42,000), 200 h.p. S.1T ($49,000), 260 h.p. S.2S ($57,000), and two-seat S.2A ($57,000). Lake, maker of the world's only production single-engined amphibian, has a new aircraft flying which should be certificated in November. Called the Renegade, this has an 18in stretch in the original Buccaneer fuselage so that five can be seated, and a 250 h.p. engine instead of the previous 200 h.p. Useful load is up to 1,2001b, a deeper "V" in the hull should improve rough water handling, and there will be a cargo-door in the side. Flight-testing is complete and first deliveries are due in January. Lake is one of the few US light air craft companies to be manufacturing at present, producing on average six per The Smith Speed Conversions Prop-Jet has a pressurised cabin for six people month. Present fly-away basic Buccaneer price is $96,000, plus $10,000 for turbo- charging. The company quotes a US operating cost for a private Buccaneer on a 200hr annual utilisation of around $30/hr. Total production is now 1,200, biggest export markets being Australia, Canada, and Scandinavia. Western Eu rope has been a quiet area for Lake marketing and this is now expected to improve with the recent appointment of Avialair at Le Bourget, as distributor. The CriCri, world's smallest twin-en gined aircraft, stole the limelight in its Oshkosh debut last year, and this French design is now being successfully mar keted in North America by Zenair. Sixty CriCri kits have been sold, the present price (including engine) being $7,290 with construction time estimated at 600hr. Zenair is now using 13 h.p. PUL engines instead of the previous Finnish Valmet units. CriCri is stressed to +9, — 4.5G, has an inverted fuel sys tem, can operate from a 1,500ft runway, and uses less than 2 gal/hr. The Quickie Aircraft Corporation was much in evidence, with a row of Quickies and two-seat Quickie 2s on the flightline. Sales of kits or plans for the Quickie now total 550, with 756 for the Q2. No decision has yet been made about the future of the round-the-world project, the prototype for which was lost in company founder Tom Jewett's fatal accident earlier this summer. A first home-built example of the stylish, metal Falco, built to plans mar keted by the Sequoia Aircraft Corpora tion, visited Oshkosh. A second should be flying in 1983. Seventy-five are known to be under construction in the USA. New designs on display in the static exhibition included the neat little Zippy Sport, which looks rather like a minia turised Wittman Tailwind and is de signed for 18 to 40 h.p. engines, and with an empty weight of 3491b fits the ARV design contest criteria. Oshkosh inevitably attracts some odd designs and two bizarre ones this year were the Wheeling PJ1 and the Vulcan Starfire. The former looks like a cross between a VI flying bomb and an F-15 model, and features two propane-fuelled "pressure jets" mounted atop the rear fuselage. (Wheeling Aircraft Co, 3570 Bald Mountain Rd, Pontiac, Mich 48057). Vtol performance is claimed for the Vulcan Starfire, the mockup of which would look more at home in a science fiction film. Dyna Con Tech (Box 1169, Ingram, Texas 78025) says it has suc cessfully test-flown scale models of the Starfire, which uses lift fans in the wings for take-off, and a shrouded pusher propeller for level flight. Suggested en gines are Kawasakis of up to 1,000 c.c. Foam composite construction and a CRT display are among its other ambitions. Left A group of Quickies emphasises their increasing popularity Right The Pitts S.2B adds more power and room to the S.2A FLIGHT International, 21 August 1982 427
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