Loudenslager Laser 200
| Laser 200 | |
|---|---|
| |
| The Laser on display at the National Air and Space Museum | |
| Role | Aerobatic Monoplane |
| National origin | United States |
| Designer | Leo Loudenslager |
| First flight | April 1971 |
| Status | Retired |
| Number built | 1 |
| Developed from | Stephens Akro |
The Loudenslager Laser 200 is a single place, mid wing, aerobatic monoplane designed and built by Leo Loudenslager.[1] It is constructed of steel tubing and covered with Ceconite fabric.[1]
Design and development
[edit]In an effort to perfect the design of the Stephens Akro, Loudenslager conducted modifications to increase roll rate, climb rate, and overall strength while decreasing the empty weight.[2] These modifications included grinding away unnecessary bosses and casting flash, which removed 12 pounds from the engine alone, as well as spot drilling the canopy. A high strength wing was achieved using a single piece wooden spar. Longer full-span ailerons greatly increased the roll rate. The resulting aircraft contained only 10% of the original design, the rest being Loudenslager's own work.[1][3] The design greatly influenced the next generation of aerobatic aircraft such as the Extra 300, which dominated aerobatics throughout 1990's.[1]
Operational history
[edit]The Laser 200 was flown to victory in seven US National Aerobatic Championships, and one World Aerobatic Championship.[1]
Variants
[edit]- Original Variant
Specifications
[edit]Data from National Air and Space Museum[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Length: 26 ft 2 in (7.98 m)
- Wingspan: 28 ft 8 in (8.74 m)
- Empty weight: 842 lb (382 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming IO-360-A1A four cylinder, horizontally opposed aircraft engine, 200 hp (150 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed MT Propeller MTV-2B-C/193-02
Performance
- Maximum speed: 200 kn (230 mph, 370 km/h)
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "Loudenslager Laser 200". National Air and Space Museum. 2016-03-18. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "Beautiful Obsession". Air and Space Magazine. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- ^ "Laser 200". Airbum.com. Retrieved 30 May 2019.