1 engine

St.Croix Excelsior

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Single seat single engined high wing monoplane with conventional three axis control. Wing has unswept leading edge, swept forward trailing edge and tapering chord; inverted conventional tail. Pitch control by elevator on tail; yaw control by fin mounted rudder; roll control by spoilerons; control inputs through stick for pitch/roll and pedals for yaw. Wing braced from below by struts; wing profile; double surface. Undercarriage has two wheels side by side with tailskid; bungee suspension on both wheels. Push right go right nosewheel steering connected to yaw control. No brakes. Aluminium tube/glassfibre/steel tube framework partially enclosed (totally enclosed optional). Engine mounted above wing driving pusher propeller.

St.Croix Excelsior Article

The Excelsior was designed by Chad and Charles Wille with the experience gained from the construction in 1947 of a Pietenpol Aircamper by Charles, who redesigned it in 1977 as a biplane called Aerial.

The Excelsior is immediately recognisable thanks to its unusual tail, with the fin forming a keel under the horizontal tail surfaces. On it is hinged the rudder, itself mounted on the tube which forms a tail skid. Even more unusual, the pusher propeller is placed behind this tail driven by a very long shaft from the motor mounted above the wing, a flexidyne damper being used to eliminate the vibrations implicit in such a long transmission.

A variety of materials are used in the Excelsior’s construction. A welded steel frame acts as the bottom of the fuselage structure and provides a mounting for the undercarriage, while the rest of the fuselage consists of aluminium tubes pop rivetted to the main transmission tube. The wings use a D section leading edge spar with foam ribs, the wings coming jig built from the factory. Covering is aircraft grade Dacron, heat shrunk with an iron and then doped.

The Excelsior was sold as plans for $95 or as a complete kit, in 1983.

Engine: Zenoah G25B, 20 hp at 6500 rpm
Power per unit area 0.15 hp/sq.ft, 16.2 hp/sq.m
Fuel capacity 3.0 US gal, 2.5 Imp gal, 11.4 litre
Length overall 6.1 ft, 1.83 m
Height overall 17.5ft, 5.33m
Wing span 34.6ft, 10.54m
Mean chord 3.8ft, 1.17m
Sweepback 0 deg
Total wing area 133 sq.ft, 12.4 sq.m
Wing aspect ratio 8.9/1
Wheel track 4.8 ft, 1.45 m
Empty weight 200 lb, 91kg
Max take off weight 450 lb, 204kg
Payload 250 lb, 113kg
Max wing loading 3.38 lb/sq.ft, 16.5 kg/sq.m
Max power loading 27.5 lb/hp, 10.2kg/hp
Load factors; +4.0, 4.0 ultimate
Max level speed 75 mph, 121 kph
Max cruising speed 70 mph, 113kph
Stalling speed 20mph, 32kph
Max climb rate at sea level 600 ft/min, 3.1 m/s
Best glide ratio with power off 20/1
Take off distance 200 ft, 60 m
Landing dis¬tance 150 ft, 45 m

St.Croix Aerial

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Chad and Charles Wille constructed in 1947 of a Pietenpol Aircamper which Charles redesigned it in 1977 as a biplane called Aerial.

Engine: Continental O-300, 145 hp
HP range: 85-200
Height: 7 ft
Length: 19.5 ft
Wing span: 29.5 ft
Wing area: 250 sq.ft
Empty weight: 900 lb
Gross weight: 1400 lb
Fuel capacity: 15 USG
Top speed: 105 mph
Cruise: 85 mph
Stall: 36 mph
Range: 150 sm
Rate of climb: 1000 fpm
Takeoff dist: 250 ft
Landing dist: 200 ft
Seats: 2
Landing gear: tailwheel

St.Cyrien Pup

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In 1958 Mr K.C.Desmond St.Cyrien started construction of a Sopwith Pup replica at his home in Horley. He secured the registration G-APUP for it. Much later it was allocated the PFA number 1582.

After having started this replica St.Cyrien ‘acquired’ bit by bit, Pup serial N5182 from a store of a French aviation collection. Parts of the replica were disposed of to G.Neale of Canada and others went to the USA.

The original Pup was then put under an intensive period of restoration at Luton and then at Horley. It was completed at Fairoaks with an original Le Rhone engine. It first flew on 11 August 1973, from Fairoaks, as N5182 ‘Shiels’, for ultimate donation to the RAF Museum.

St. Andrews Viking / Viking Aircraft Viking

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The St Andrews Viking is a family of American powered parachutes that was designed and manufactured by St Andrews Aviation of Panama City, Florida and later produced by Viking Aircraft, also of Panama City.

Introduction in 1998, the two-seat Viking II was designed to comply with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles two-seat trainer rules. It features a parachute-style high-wing, two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration, tricycle landing gear and a single 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503 engine in pusher configuration. The 70 hp (52 kW) 2si 690-L70 engine was a factory option.

The aircraft is built from tubing and includes a partial cockpit fairing. The side-by-side seating configuration is unusual in powered parachutes, but was intended to make dual instruction easier. In flight steering is accomplished via dual foot pedals that actuate the canopy brakes, creating roll and yaw. On the ground the aircraft has a center-mounted bicycle handlebar that controls the nosewheel steering. The main landing gear incorporates steel spring rod suspension. The aircraft was factory supplied in the form of an assembly kit or could be delivered ready-to-fly.

Variants

Viking I
Single seat version introduced in March 2000, that sold for US$10,900 complete and ready-to-fly in 2001.

Viking II
Two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration version introduced in 1998, that sold for US$12,000 (2001) complete and ready-to-fly, US$10,000 complete but unassembled or US$4,300 for the carriage kit only, less engine and canopy, in 2001. Production has since ended.

Viking II
Engine: 1 × Rotax 503 twin cylinder, two-stroke, 50 hp (37 kW)
Propeller: 3-bladed composite propeller
Wing area: 520 sq ft (48 m2)
Empty weight: 270 lb (122 kg)
Fuel capacity: 10 U.S. gallons (38 L; 8.3 imp gal)
Cruise speed: 30 mph (26 kn; 48 km/h)
Rate of climb: 600 ft/min (3.0 m/s)
Crew: one
Capacity: one passenger

Staudacher S-900

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The only Staudacher 985 aircraft in existence, the 1994 built model is powered by a P&W R-985 engine and is an aerobatic experimental aircraft.

In 1997 it received the Oshkosh Reserve Grand Champion for an experimental “Plans Built” aircraft. This fully aerobatic aircraft has inverted capability, a second seat in front of the main pilot seat (full controls, no brakes).

In 2020 N985SB S/N: 17 was for sale for USD$219,000. It was located at Sugar Grove, Illinois, USA, and had 489 hours total time engine & prop.

Gallery

Statler Firefly

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Firefly was designed by Bill Statler, former Lockheed engineer who earlier designed an all-metal midwing racer, Little Mike, in the Goodyear 190-ci. class, Firefly was designed to resemble a two-place For¬mula One racer, carries 80 sq.ft of wing instead of 66. Both cockpit places have complete controls; Firefly is soloed from front seat. Con¬struction is basically metal, with fiberglass cowl, wingtips, fairings, wheel pants. Flaps are electrically operated.

Offered with plans and construction manuals for home-builders, the Statler Firefly N711FF first flew on 8 October 1976, piloted by Al Foss.

Engine Continental C-85-12F
Wingspan 19’2”
Length 18’11”
Gross Wt. 1300 lb
Empty Wt. 835 lb
Fuel capacity 18 USG
Top speed 240 mph
Cruise 143 mph
Stall 63 mph clean, 56 mph flaps down
Climb rate 800 fpm
Ceiling 16,000 ft
Takeoff roll 600 ft
Landing roll 800 ft
Range 400 mi
Endurance 3 hrs. plus res
Seat 2