Ravin Aircraft Ravin 500
This composite aircraft, based on the concept of the Piper Comanche was designed and developed by SA Ravin in 2 years and 5 months. The Ravin 500 made it's first flight on 15 September 2002. An all Composite kit aircraft for amateur construction by SA Ravin Aircraft of Pretoria, South Africa. An NACA 64-series profile (modified) was used, brought into the shape by Francois Jordaan. The standard handshake overlap main spar design is used to join the two spars in the fuselage. A Hartzell 3 Bladed Scimitar Pulse Prop was used from the beginning. It uses a 12 liter plenim box in conjunction with the air filter. The fuselage mold is split vertically with port and starboard halves. There are cross braces below the cockpit floor and one bulkhead visible in the rear fuselage. Wings are also two-piece, incorporating mainspars and rear subspars. The carbon mainspars overlap and join within the fuselage. Horizontal tailplane was one-piece, glass with carbon elevator. The fuselage, wings, tailplane and other components appear to have been molded with an inscribed grid covering the exterior surfaces as an aid to alignment and windshield, window cutouts.
Ravin 500
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