Aerosport Rail
| Rail | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Ultralight aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Aerosport |
| Designer | Harris Woods |
| Number built | unknown |
| History | |
| First flight | 14 November 1970 |
The Aerosport Rail is an American minimalist ultralight aircraft, designed by Harris Woods and built by Aerosport Inc. The aircraft was first flown on 14 November 1970.
Design and development
[edit]The Rail is little more than a 2 by 5 inch squared aluminium tube (rail) with all-metal wings and a T-tail. The pilot sits on the tube, just ahead of and above the wings.[1] Two small two-cycle engines derated to 25 hp (19 kW) are mounted on struts behind the seat on either side of centerline, driving pusher propellers. Individual 4 U.S. gallons (15 L; 3.3 imp gal) fiberglass fuel tanks are mounted in front of each engine. About 175 sets of plans were sold between 1970 and 1977. The follow-on design, the Aerosport Quail uses the Rail's wing design for an enclosed tractor configuration homebuilt aircraft.[2]
Specifications
[edit]Data from Air Trails
General characteristics
- Crew: 1 (pilot)
- Length: 15 ft 9 in (4.80 m)
- Wingspan: 23 ft 4 in (7.11 m)
- Wing area: 81.5 sq ft (7.57 m2)
- Empty weight: 380 lb (172 kg)
- Gross weight: 650 lb (295 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 8 gal
- Powerplant: 2 × Aerosport-Rockwell LB600 automotive engines, 45 hp (34 kW) each De-rated to 25hp each
- Propellers: 2-bladed
Performance
- Maximum speed: 96 mph (154 km/h, 83 kn)
- Cruise speed: 66 mph (106 km/h, 57 kn)
- Stall speed: 42 mph (68 km/h, 36 kn)
- Never exceed speed: 115 mph (185 km/h, 100 kn)
- Range: 120 mi (190 km, 100 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 12,000 ft (3,700 m)
- g limits: 3.8+
See also
[edit]Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References
[edit]
- ^ Air Trails: 74. Summer 1971.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link) - ^ "The New Aerosport Quail". Sport Aviation. March 1972.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 39.
- Aerofiles
- The FLYING RAIL: A Twin-Engine Pusher You Can Build, by Ben Kocivar, Popular Science, Oct. 1971, pp. 55 ff.