North American Rotorwerks Pitbull II
| Pitbull II | |
|---|---|
| Role | Autogyro |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | North American Rotorwerks |
| Status | Production suspended (2013) |
| Variants | North American Rotorwerks Pitbull Ultralight |
The North American Rotorwerks Pitbull II is an American autogyro, designed and produced by North American Rotorwerks of Tukwila, Washington. When it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction, but by 2013 production had been suspended.[1][2]
Design and development
[edit]The Pitbull II is a two-seat development of the North American Rotorwerks Pitbull Ultralight. It was designed to comply with the US Experimental - Amateur-built rules. It features a single main rotor, a two-seats in side-by-side configuration open cockpit with a windshield, conventional landing gear and a four-cylinder, air and liquid-cooled, four-stroke, dual-ignition 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912S engine in tractor configuration. The 110 hp (82 kW) Subaru EA-81 and Subaru EA-82 auto-conversion powerplants are optional.[1][2]
The aircraft's rotor has a 30 ft (9.1 m) diameter and the cockpit has a 40 in (102 cm) width. The tailplane is strut-braced and an electric pre-rotator is standard. A small baggage compartment with a capacity of 20 lb (9.1 kg) and a volume of 2 cu ft (56.6 L) is fitted. The recommended power range is 90 to 160 hp (67 to 119 kW). With its empty weight of 440 lb (200 kg) and a gross weight of 1,025 lb (465 kg), the useful load is 585 lb (265 kg). Construction time from the factory assembly kit is estimated at 100 hours.[1]
The aircraft is intended to resemble the autogyros of the 1930s and as such it uses a radial engine-style round cowling, rounded rudder, barrel-shaped fuselage and other antique styling details.[1][2]
Specifications (Pitbull II)
[edit]Data from Bayerl and North American Rotorwerks[1][2]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Capacity: one passenger
- Length: 15 ft 5 in (4.70 m)
- Height: 8 ft 5 in (2.57 m)
- Empty weight: 440 lb (200 kg)
- Gross weight: 1,025 lb (465 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 18 U.S. gallons (68 L; 15 imp gal)
- Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 912S four cylinder, air and liquid-cooled, four stroke aircraft engine, 100 hp (75 kW)
- Main rotor diameter: 30 ft 0 in (9.14 m)
- Propellers: 3-bladed composite
Performance
- Maximum speed: 88 mph (142 km/h, 76 kn)
- Cruise speed: 70 mph (110 km/h, 61 kn)
- Range: 210 mi (340 km, 180 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 12,000 ft (3,700 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,200 ft/min (6.1 m/s)