1 engine

Pro-Composites Personal Cruiser

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The Personal Cruiser currently uses a Corvair automotive engine converted for aircraft use, and is designed for an installed engine weight of up to 250lbs and from 65-115 hp. The Personal Cruise has a 29″ wide cabin.

The 2009 airframe kit price was $9,710. In the air complete from $18k to $25k.

Engine: Corvair 2700cc, 100 hp
Hp range: 60-120
Wing area: 76.5 sqft
Span: 25.5 ft
M.A.C: 36 in
Airfoil: Eppler
Aspect Ratio: 8
Dihedral: 6 degrees
Length: 17’ 4”
Empty Weight: 650 – 750 lbs
Useful Load: 500 lbs
Gross Weight: 1250 lbs
Fuel Load: 12-18 US Gallons
Vne: 212 mph
Va: 147 mph
Econ. Cruise power: 116 mph @ 2.5 gph
High Cruise: 150 mph @ 4.8 gph
Rate of Climb: 700-1800 feet/min
Stall: 58 mph (Clean)
Load factor: +4.5g/-3.0 at 1250lbs
Take-off / Landing: 400 ft/ 350ft
Cockpit Width: 29” interior dimension
V-tail Area: 16 sqft
V-tail Span: 6.125 ft
V-tail Airfoil: Eppler
Landing Gear: Fixed Tri-gear w/castering nose wheel

Pröckl & Hasselböck Motorschwingenflieger / Flügelschlagflieger

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The Motorschwingenflieger / Flügelschlagflieger designed by Moritz Hasselböck and Wilhelm Pröckl, and apparently worked on for five years in Vienna, was completed about 1908. The construction of the machine reveals that the flapping wings were not only just flapping in a vertical plane. Pröckl & Hasselböck had realized that in this way the ornithopter would only ascend and descend vertically. To achieve forward motion they devised a method to rotate the wings to another angle with the objective to achieve forward motion or in the event of landing, a braking of the speed of descent.

The machine was built to specification by “Automobilfirma Wyner, Huber und Reich” of Vienna. Photos taken on the property of the firm date from July 1908.

PROCAER Cobra F.400 / F.480

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In 1960, under the direction of Stelio Frati, Procaer built the F.400 Cobra, a two-seater jet powered by a Turbomeca Marboré II.

Construction of Cobra is mixed wood and all metal and the outer coating of birch plywood covered with a pure aluminum foil bonded over the entire surface.

The prototype was destroyed during its return from the Paris Air Show to Italy.

A second prototype, with four seats and a Marboré VI, the Procaer F-480, was maintained in the collection of Charles Bezard.

Engine: Turbomeca Marboré II
Wingspan: 8.70 m
Length: 7.80 m
Height: 2.80 m
Wing area: 11.70 m²
Aspect ratio: 6.5
Empty weight: 700 kg
Loaded weight: 1300 kg
Wing loaded: 111 Kg / m²

Pritchard Rocket Air Ship

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Charles Pritchard of Emporia, Virginia, was a railroader by profession, set out to build an all-aluminium wingless combined aircraft/car which had been ten years in the making.

The Rocket Air Ship plane has short baffles or fins in place of wings, a 90 hp engine, a conventional propeller and tail assembly and a tricycle landing gear. It was 21 feet long, 98 inches wide and weighed 800 lbs.

The body of the plane is made entirely of aluminium. Each side has baffles (or fins) of varying length. The fins “hold air in the proper channel over the hull of the ship to give the hull its lift”.

Ailerons for changing direction in flight are on the sides of the plane. Conventional equipment on the wingless craft includes a tricycle landing gear, metal propeller, 90 hp engine and flight instruments.

Built for less than $1500, Pritchard was helped in the construction by Billy Davis of Emporia.

“Charles Pritchard, designer builder and pilot, makes first test of his wingless Rocket Air Ship on mile lone runway at Emporia, Virginia, airport.

Plane has short baffles or fins in place of wings, 90 hp engine, conventional propeller and tail assembly, tricycle landing gear, is 21 feet long 98 inches wide weighs 800 lbs. Pritchard made eight runs along runway, but didn’t; get off the ground. Says he’ll make modifications and try again.” (circa 1955)

Primac Tukan

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The Tukan features a composite fuselage and fabric covered wood wings. Air brakes are fitted on the upper wing surface. The engine can fold back to inside the fuselage.

Engine: Rotax 447, 40 hp
Wing span: 14.7 m
Wing area: 14.7 sq.m
MAUW: 420 kg
Empty weight: 215 kg
Fuel capacity: 32 lt
Max speed: 125 kph
Cruise speed: 85 kph
Minimum speed: 60 kph
Climb rate: 2 m/s
Fuel consumption: 8 lt/hr
Seats: 2

Primac Moskitto M-10

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First flown in December 1996, options include a closed cockpit, and floats. The wings fold in 8 minutes. The aircraft is stressed to +6 and –3 G.

Engine: Rotax 447, 40 hp
HP range: 27-50
Wing span: 26.3 ft / 8.02 m
Wing area: 117.1 sq.ft / 10.99 sq.m
Length: 15.2 ft
Height: 5.6 ft
MAUW: 497 lb / 240 kg
Empty weight: 219 lb / 98 kg
Fuel capacity: 7.5 USG / 30 lt
Max speed: 73 mph / 110 kph
Cruise speed: 61 mph / 88 kph
Stall: 30 mph / 40 kph
Rate of climb: 1450 fpm / 6.8 m/s
Service ceiling: 10,000 ft
Range: 165 sm
Takeoff dist: 90 ft
Landing dist: 120 ft
Seats: 1
Landing gear: tailwheel
Fuel consumption: 7.2 lt/hr
Price (1998): US$12,250
Kit price (1998): US$6400

Price PL-2-DM

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In 1962 Paul Price built the Price PL-2-DM, registered N850Z c/n 2,, which appears to be a much larger version of his Price Special. The PL-2-DM is also a single place, open cockpit high-wing monoplane.

PL-2-DM
Engine: 65hp Lycoming O-145 or Continental C-65
Wingspan: 24’0″
Length: 15’6″
Useful load: 225 lb
Max speed: 85 mph
Cruise: 60 mph
Stall: 40 mph
Range: 90 mi
Seats: 1