Victa Aircruiser
| Victa Aircruiser | |
|---|---|
| Role | Four-seat light touring monoplane |
| National origin | Australia |
| Manufacturer | Victa Ltd |
| Designer | Henry Millicer |
| First flight | 18 July 1966 |
| Number built | 1 |
| Developed from | Victa Airtourer |
| Variants | AESL CT/4 Airtrainer |
The Victa Aircruiser was a 1960s Australian four-seat touring monoplane designed by Henry Millicer and built by Victa. It was not put into production by Victa, and the rights were sold to AESL in 1969.
Development
[edit]Following the success of the earlier Airtourer, Millicer designed a four-seat version which he called the Aircruiser. The prototype registered VH-MVR first flew on 18 July 1966.[1] Like the Airtourer it was a low-wing monoplane with a fixed nosewheel landing gear and powered by a 210 hp (157 kW) Continental IO-360-H piston engine.[1] Rather than the sliding clear Perspex canopy of the Airtourer, the four-seat Aircruiser had a fixed cabin roof with a single "car type" door on the left hand side.[2]
Although Victa completed certification testing, no production of the Aircruiser followed, as Victa closed down its Aviation Division after failing to get financial assistance from the Australian government.[3] Both Victa and Transavia Corporation had requested subsidies for Australian-designed and -built light aircraft, with Victa seeking a subsidy of up to 60% of the factory cost.[4]
Following the sale of the design rights of the Airtourer to Aero Engine Services Limited (AESL) of New Zealand, the rights to the Aircruiser were also sold to AESL in 1969.[1] AESL's Chief Designer Pat Monk re-designed the aircraft as the AESL CT/4 Airtrainer, a fully aerobatic (+6G, -3G) military trainer.
In 2013 Brumby Aircraft Australia announced the company had purchased the type certificate for the Victa Aircruiser to be developed into the Brumby Aircruiser.[5]
Specifications
[edit]The specifications of the Aircruiser 2010 (with performance estimated) are as follows:[2]
Data from Janes All the World's Aircraft 1966–67
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 3
- Length: 23 ft 3 in (7.09 m)
- Wingspan: 26 ft 0 in (7.92 m)
- Height: 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)
- Wing area: 129 sq ft (12.0 m2)
- Empty weight: 1,350 lb (612 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 2,400 lb (1,089 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 42 imp gal (50 US gal; 190 L) usable fuel
- Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce/Continental IO-360-D piston engine, 210 hp (160 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed Hartzell constant-speed propeller
Performance
- Cruise speed: 170 mph (270 km/h, 150 kn) at 6,500 ft (2,000 m) (max. cruise)
- Stall speed: 56 mph (90 km/h, 49 kn) (flaps down)
- Never exceed speed: 243 mph (391 km/h, 211 kn) (max diving speed)
- Range: 1,000 mi (1,600 km, 870 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 16,000 ft (4,900 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,200 ft/min (6.1 m/s)
- Takeoff run to 50 ft (15 m): 1,200 ft (370 m)
- Landing run from 50 ft (15 m): 1,270 ft (390 m)
See also
[edit]
Related development
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c Simpson 1991, p. 332
- ^ a b Taylor 1966, p. 10
- ^ Taylor 1967, p. 8
- ^ "Sport and Business: Bounty Refused". Flight International. Vol. 91, no. 3025. 2 March 1967. p. 318. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^ "Brumby Aircraft to Build Aircruisers". Australian Flying. 10 September 1966. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
Bibliography
[edit]- Simpson, R.W. (1991). Airlife's General Aviation. England: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-194-X.
- Taylor, John W. R. (1966). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1966–67. Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd.
- Taylor, John W. R. (1967). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1967–68. Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd.