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Aviation History
1983
1983 - 0971.PDF
PARIS SPECIAL A a point of providing a strong landing gear and good (13in) prop clearance. The very- obvious nosewheel cantilever spring has its origins in the main gear of the Skyhawk. A huge cargo door on the port side, and a starboard airstair complement two aircrew doors in Cessna's drive for loading flexibility. Cabin volume is said to be sufficient for ten standard oil drums, or as many as 14 seats in a commuter layout. (Airworthiness regulations will limit this passenger load to ten in areas subject to FAA jurisdiction.) In the first six months, Cessna Caravan has accumulated almost 150hr of flight- testing; engine running is some lOhr ahead of airframe time. One or two engineering changes have inevitably taken place in the project's earliest days, and the manufacturer tells Flight that any final modification will be made during two- months' downtime before initial certifica tion flying begins in September. More than 120 flights have been made and "everything is going well", according to Cessna. Amphibious floats are sched uled to be introduced in May 1984 for certification work to be complete by Octo ber. All testing will be with the engineering prototype. No additional test aircraft will be produced. Most of the flight envelope has been explored, and stall tests have been completed. , ' Under the accelerated development plan, the first production aircraft is set to roll out on July 30, 1984. After production flight-tests, this machine will be used for the 150hr FAA function and reliability 'programme until mid September. Cessna expects to announce its pricing and marketing strategy at Paris. If Cessna has (once again) got the composition right, jthen the positive response to its overture is only a prelude to Caravan having a "major voice in utility aviation's fugue. GAF Hawk 125 Many a person has given his name to an aeroplane, but few have actually changed their's to that of an aircraft. An exception is Ernest Hauk, designer of the General Aviation Freighter (GAF) Hawk 125. He is legally changing his family name—for Hauk, now read Hawk—to reduce ^confusion. And the company name is changed also: to GAF Hawk International. The real news though, according to the designer, is that "we are moving from R&D into full-scale production". A jproduction manager has been appointed and a 48,000ft2 covered facility at Olympic Airport, Washington, has been considered as a manufacturing base. This will allow a fix-aircraft production line (writes loward Levy). L The prototype GAF Hawk has logged 40 -flight-test hours. Initial problems with K directional-control stability have been overcome by disengaging nosewheel steer ing from the rudder pedals after take off. Aileron controls are now lower geared, t ioost tabs have lightened a heavy levator, and rigging and electrical prob- 'LIGHT International, 28 May 1983 Spectrum Aircraft's Cessna Skymaster conversion is said to provide a maximum flat-floor length of 19ft with access through a nose door lems have also been overcome. Moving the main gear axles forward a foot has dealt with a pitch-up tendency at take-off. Early work included cruise and stall tests, opening the rear cargo-loading door in flight, and climbing with an overload. The GAF Hawk 125 made 600ft/min to 10,000ft, and has taken a sample load at a 13,5001b gross weight on a 400-mile cross country. Intake bypass-ratio tests and propeller-vibration studies, early in 1983, were followed by mission-oriented oper ations. Final testing—noise measure ment—should be completed in October or November. The manufacturer believes that the GAF Hawk will take off with a 6,1721b payload and 135 US gal of fuel (out of 360 gal capacity), and will cruise at 115kt (52 per cent power) while burning 55 US gal/hr. At 120kt (86 per cent power), fuel consumption is given as 80gal/hr. GAF Hawk has a simple construction: welded steel structure covered by corrugated aluminium skins. Flooring is corrugated aluminium with cargo attach ments at each gusset frame along the fuselage. The constant-chord wing has a Nasa GA(W) 1 profile with a leading-edge cuff, which consists of a tubular spar. Main spar is a built-up box, with another tubular spar aft. Almost 80 one-piece ribs are located along the box and aft spars by blind rivets. A similar construction tail uses fore and aft tubular spars. GAF Hawk has combined spoiler- ailerons, dubbed "rollerons". These half- span controls are placed ahead of full-span flaps in the upper wing surface. Deflections of 50° upward and 10° down ward are said to be more than sufficient. Controls are otherwise conventional, with electric trim to all surfaces. The fixed landing-gear comprises dual main wheels and a single nose wheel, with optional oversize tyres and wheels. Production GAF Hawk 125s will probably use the P&W PT6A-65B/R as a hot-and-high option to the 1,173 s.h.p. -45B. The five- blade Hartzell reversible propeller is mounted high to minimise damage in rough field conditions. Although the aircraft is stressed for operations at 14,5001b, it could even work at 16,5001b, says Hawk International. The manu- Soloy Conversions' Allison 250 modification of a Cessna 206 follows earlier work on 185 and 337 Skymaster models 1543
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