Era

Dreher TJD-76C Baby Mamba

TerryLeave a comment

ln 1963, Max Dreher began work on the design of the youngest member of his turbine family, the TJD-76 Baby Mamba. It was designed to power a sailplane and had a static thrust of 55 lbs. He tried to keep it as simple and light as possible. No gear reduction was used and it had a free-spinning rotor. He selected a single-stage mixed flow compressor, an annular combustion chamber and a single stage axia-flow turbine for the basic layout.

A single-shaft turbojet, the air intake at the front, with an air flow of 0.50 kg (1.1 lb)/sec. The compressor is a single-stage mixed-flow, with single 17-4 PH stainless steel impeller with sixteen vanes. Splined to shaft and supported in two ball bearings. Mixed-flow two-stage diffuser of 347 stainless steel. Pressure ratio : 2.8 : 1

The compressor casing is of 2024 aluminium alloy and 347 stainless steel.

The combustion chamber is an annular type with Hastelloy X outer casing and flame tube. Vaporising system with fuel/air pre-mix. One spark plug in flame tube.Fuel system: Manual with pressurised fuel supply, or electrically-driven fuel pump. Fuel pressure 5.52 bars(80 lb/sq in). Automatic system for drone applications. Fuel grade: Kerosene or petrol.

The nozzle guide vanes are single axial stage, with sixteen investment-cast vanes in Stellite 31.Turbine: Single-stage axial-flow, with nineteen integrally-cast blades, of Inconel 713 LC. Gas temperature 770°C before turbine, 675°C after turbine, at continuous cruising power.

A fixed type jet pipe, with jet pipe and cone of Hastelloy X. LUBRICATION: Air/oil mist system with total loss, using bleed air equivalent to 2.5 per cent of total mass flow. Capacity 1 litre (2 US pints) of MIL-L-7808E (Turbo 15).

Mounting is by two rigid connections on diffuser section and one flexible connection on turbine section. Starting is by compressed air 1034 bars (150 lb/sq in), via three nozzles driving turbine wheel.

The whole job, from the begining to end, took about 3600 hours.

After initial running on the test stand, Max Dreher installed the engine on his Prue 215A sailplane. To do this he designed a jet pack consisting of the engine, the pressurized fuel system and the lubrication unit. the total weight of this first pack was 25 pounds. An auxiliary oil tank is mounted separately and employs an electrical driven gear pump.

A third unit, the jet control pack (engine controls, instruments, switches) is located in the cockpit.

Prue 215A – Mamba Jet

Length overall: 416 mm (16.38 in)
Diameter: 151 mm (5.94 in)
Dry weight: 6.4 kg (14.1 lb)
Complete weight with fuel tank: 10.0 kg (22 lb)
Specific fuel consumption: 42.5 mg/Ns (1.5 lb/hr/lb st) At max rating
Oil consumption: 25 cc/min At max rating
Max rating: 0.245 kN (55 lb st)
Continuous rating: 0.20 kN (45 lb st)

Dream Wings Valkyrie

TerryLeave a comment

The Valkyrie was a sleek, speedy looking airplane on a computer screen. Dozens of DreamWings depositors made their decision to buy a plane while they were sitting at the controls of the prototype, a happy grin on their face. They had found the perfect plane.

One thing led to another–dreams were crushed, careers were ruined, no planes were ever delivered and in 2001 DreamWings ceased operations forever. When DreamWings closed its doors, it left 145 customers behind – customers who lost nearly $1.5 million in deposit money.

Dream Aircraft Tundra

TerryLeave a comment

With more than 20 years expertise in manufacturing and with Yvan Desmarais’s flying experience on many different aircrafts, the construction of the first prototype began in 1998. The first flight was done at the Bromont airport on May 12th 2001 with great success. Following this first flight, many more are accomplished in the month and with the necessary flying hours accumulated by June 7th 2001, the special flying certificate can be delivered. On October 3rd 2001, the first flight on floats is accomplished, again with great success.

The TUNDRA is a four place kit plane in the STOL aircraft category (Short Takeoff and Landing) with a useful load comparable to bigger airplanes. This airplane will carry four adults, their luggage and enough fuel for a trip of several hours, even in floatplane configuration. This experimental aircraft is a true four place airplane.
The TUNDRA is offered in either a tail dragger or a tricycle gear configuration. The TUNDRA structure is already built to attach a tail or nose wheel and even floats (all required parts are included).

The TUNDRA is an all metal plane with a useful load of more than 1100 pounds and 58 gallons of fuel (219.5 lt).

Tundra
Engine: 200 hp
Undercarriage: Wheels
Max. take off weight: 2550 lbs
Design load factor normal @ 2550 lbs: +3.8 -1.7G
Maximum wing loading @ 2550 lbs: 13.90 lbs/sq ft
Maximum flap extended speed: 90 mph (78 kts)
Maximum cruise speed – Vc: 140 mph (122 kts)
Never exceed speed (Vne): 160 mph (140 kts)
Take-off roll: 400ft
Cruise speed 75% power and 1500ft: 132 mph (115kts)
Stall speed with extended flaps (Vso): 30 mph (26 kts)
Stall speed (Vs): 42 mph (37 kts)
Rate of climb: 1000 fpm
Service ceiling: 14 000 ft
Endurance: 5.2 hrs
Range: 673 miles
Length: 25 ft 6in
Height: 7 ft
Wheel span: 8 ft
Wing span: 36ft
Wing area: 183.6 sq ft
Wing chord: 5ft 1in
Horizontal tail span: 10ft 7in
Horizontal tail area: 39 sq ft
Empty weight: 1450 lbs
Design gross weight: 2550 lbs
Useful load: 1100 lbs
Fuel capacity: 58 US gl
Full fuel weight: 348 lbs
Design payload: 722 lbs
Wing loading: 13.90 lbs/sq ft
Power loading: 13 lbs/bhp
Cabin width: 44in
Cabin length: 112in

Tundra
Engine: 200 hp
Undercarriage: Skis
Max. take off weight: 2550 lbs
Design load factor normal @ 2550 lbs: +3.8 -1.7G
Maximum wing loading @ 2550 lbs: 13.90 lbs/sq ft
Maximum flap extended speed: 90 mph (78 kts)
Maximum cruise speed – Vc: 128 mph (112 kts)
Never exceed speed (Vne): 160 mph (140 kts)
Take-off roll: 650ft
Cruise speed 75% power and 1500ft: 125 mph (110kts)
Stall speed with extended flaps (Vso): 40 mph (35 kts)
Stall speed (Vs): 45 mph (39 kts)
Rate of climb: 800 fpm
Service ceiling: 14 000 ft
Endurance: 5.2 hrs
Range: 660 miles
Length: 25 ft 6in
Height: 7 ft
Wheel span: 9 ft
Wing span: 36ft
Wing area: 183.6 sq ft
Wing chord: 5ft 1in
Horizontal tail span: 10ft 7in
Horizontal tail area: 39 sq ft
Empty weight: 1604 lbs
Design gross weight: 2550 lbs
Useful load: 946 lbs
Fuel capacity: 58 US gl
Full fuel weight: 348 lbs
Design payload: 598 lbs
Wing loading: 13.90 lbs/sq ft
Power loading: 12.78 lbs/bhp
Cabin width: 44in
Cabin length: 112in

Tundra
Engine: 200 hp
Undercarriage: Floats
Max. take off weight: 2800 lbs
Design load factor normal @ 2550 lbs: +3.8 -1.7G
Maximum wing loading @ 2550 lbs: 15.25 lbs/sq ft
Maximum flap extended speed: 90 mph (78 kts)
Maximum cruise speed – Vc: 125 mph (110 kts)
Never exceed speed (Vne): 140 mph (122 kts)
Take-off roll: 1300ft
Cruise speed 75% power and 1500ft: 118 mph (103 kts)
Stall speed with extended flaps (Vso): 45 mph (39 kts)
Stall speed (Vs): 52 mph (45 kts)
Rate of climb: 600 fpm
Service ceiling: 14 000 ft
Endurance: 5.2 hrs
Range: 613 miles
Length: 25 ft 6in
Height: 9 ft
Wheel span: 9 ft
Wing span: 36ft
Wing area: 183.6 sq ft
Wing chord: 5ft 1in
Horizontal tail span: 10ft 7in
Horizontal tail area: 39 sq ft
Empty weight: 1692 lbs
Design gross weight: 2800 lbs
Useful load: 1108 lbs
Fuel capacity: 58 US gl
Full fuel weight: 348 lbs
Design payload: 760 lbs
Wing loading: 15.25 lbs/sq ft
Power loading: 14.2 lbs/bhp
Cabin width: 44in
Cabin length: 112in

Dream Aircraft

TerryLeave a comment

In 1979, Yvan and Yves Desmarais founded, with their cousin Serge Gagné and backed by their mother Gisèle, the company D & G Inc. The company is specialized in Welding and assembly. After some modest beginnings in their home garage, D & G Inc. gains a solid reputation based on its integrity and the quality of its workmanship.
As the years pass, the company invests in new technology with the purchase of welding robots and in 1996, they move in a new 60,000 square feet plant. A couple of years later, the company invests again; this time, 1.5 million dollars is invested in the purchase of high technology machinery for sheet metal transformation.

Yvan Desmarais, the company’s vice-president, has always been fascinated by aviation. A pilot since he was 19 years old, he nurtured a dream which he transmitted to his business partners. His dream was of a highly secure plane; be it on wheels or on floats. A plane that would be solid, durable and easy to build.

With more than 20 years expertise in manufacturing and with Yvan Desmarais’s flying experience on many different aircrafts, the construction of the first prototype began in 1998. The first flight was done at the Bromont airport on May 12th 2001 with great success. Following this first flight, many more are accomplished in the month and with the necessary flying hours accumulated by June 7th 2001, the special flying certificate can be delivered. On October 3rd 2001, the first flight on floats is accomplished, again with great success.

2008: 565 Maisonneuve, Granby QC, Canada J2G 3 H5

Dragon Light Aircraft Co Dragon 150

TerryLeave a comment

Side by side two seat single engined high-wing monoplane with conventional three axis control. Wing has swept back leading edge, unswept trailing edge and tapering chord, conventional tail. Pitch control by elevator on tail; yaw control by fin mounted rudder; roll control by half span ailerons; control inputs through stick for pitch/roll and pedals for yaw. Wing braced from below by struts; 100% double surface. Undercarriage has three wheels in tail dragger formation; composite suspension on tailwheel and bungee suspension on main wheels. Push right go right tailwheel steering connected to yaw control. No brakes. Aluminium/fabric fuselage, partially enclosed. Engine mounted below wing driving tractor propeller.
Anodized aluminium tubing is seamless mandrel drawn. Aluminium extrusions are to British HE30 standard. Stainless steel cables, aircraft quality fasteners, Dacron wing covering, heat shrunk polyester covering to tail surfaces and ailerons.
The Dragon 150 is the first aircraft produced by the Dragon Light Aircraft Co, which is an offshoot of the independent airline British Air Ferries. It makes no claim to be revolutionary, but instead is intended as a robust, practical machine in which conventional aircraft pilots will feel immediately at home.
The Dragon 150 only just a microlight and is certainly not an ultralight in the US sense of the term. Designer Billy Brooks deliberately made the weight and wing loading as high as the microlight definition would allow, to maxi¬mise the number of days in which the aircraft can be used in the fickle British climate.
Although the prototype, which first flew on 10 July 1982, was powered by a Hunting HS525A engine, DLAC decided to fit the Robin EC44 to the production version.
Controls include a central control column, dual linked rudder pedals and dual linked throttles with a friction adjuster. A wide range of options is available, including 720 channel radio, electric start, parachute and extra instruments. Supplied as a pre cut, pre bent, pre drilled kit requiring 30 40 h to complete.

Dragon 150
Length overall 23.7 ft, 7.23 m.
Height overall 7.7ft, 2.35m.
Wing span 34.9ft, 10.64m.
Chord at root 6.2ft, 1.88m.
Chord at tip 4.8ft, 1.45m.
Dihedral 1.5 degs.
Sweepback 1deg.
Tailplane span 11.0ft, 3.36m.
Fin height 6.3 ft, 1.91 m.
Total wing area 189 sq.ft, 17.6 sq.m.
Total aileron area 30.8 sq.ft, 2.86 sq.m.
Fin area 19.5 sq.ft, 1.81 sq.m.
Rudder area 9.8 sq.ft, 0.91 sq.m.
Tailplane area 40.4 sq.ft, 3.75 sq.m
Total elevator area 12.4 sq.ft, 1.15 sq.m.
Wing aspect ratio 6.0/1.
Wheel track 5.7 ft, 1.74 m.
Wheelbase 18.2 ft, 5.55 m.
Tailwheel diameter overall 4 inch, 10 cm.
Main wheels diameter overall 16 inch, 40 cm.
Engine: Robin EC44, 45 hp at 6500 rpm.
Propeller diameter and pitch 72 x 42 inch, 1.83 x 1.07 m.
Toothed belt reduction, ratio 3.3/1.
Max static thrust 240 lb, 109kg.
Power per unit area: 0.24hp/sq.ft, 2.6hp/sq.m .
Fuel capacity 6.9 US gal, 5.7 Imp gal, 26.0 litre.
Empty weight 328 lb, 149kg.
Max take off weight 791 lb, 359kg.
Payload 463 lb, 210kg.
Max wing loading 4.181b/sq.ft, 20.4kg/sq.m.
Max power loading 17.6 lb/hp, 8.0kg/hp.
Load factors; +6.0, 3.0 ultimate.
Max level speed 66mph, 106 kph.
Never exceed speed 85mph, 136kph.
Max cruising speed 60mph, 96kph.
Economic cruising speed 53mph, 86kph.
Stalling speed 25mph, 40 kph.
Max climb rate at sea level 500 ft/ min, 2.5m/s.
Min sink rate 400ft/min at 28kph, 2.0m/s at 45kph.
Best glide ratio with power off 9/1 at 38 mph, 61 kph.
Take¬off distance 150 ft, 45 m.
Landing distance 100ft, 30m.
Service ceiling 14,000ft, 4270m.
Range at average cruising speed 100 mile, 160km.

Dragonfly Dragonfly / Heliot

TerryLeave a comment

Designed by Angelo and Alfredo Castiglioni to FAR 27. Constructed with a welded titanium frame, the overall configuration is conventional, with a two bladed main rotor with a semi-rigid teetering head, and two bladed tail rotor. Both sets of blades are metal and of similar design to the proven Jet Ranger – although the blades, following European convention, rotate clockwise (when viewed from above). The Dragon Fly shows the influence of Bell Augusta parentage. The transmission is only about 20 cm deep and 30 cm in diameter. It is driven through a pair of triple V-belts and a centrifugal clutch by a horizontally opposed, four cylinder, two stroke engine. At 6250 RPM the 1052 cc engine develops 105 HP, although a more powerful 1300 cc 140 HP version is undergoing testing at the moment (1995) and will be fully inter-changeable with the 105 HP engine.
The engine is fed by four Nikuni 44 carburettors, each with their own air filter and automatic vacuum pump, ensuring continuous fuel supply in the event of a failure of both of the main booster pumps. The carbs are mounted on each cylinder via a thermionic manifold – thereby eliminating the need for a carburettor heat control since they are heated directly by conduction. The need for a mixture control is also eliminated by the provision of a fixed jet with automatic altitude and temperature compensation. Engine cooling is by forced air from two axial, belt driven fans.
HELIOT variant is for military and civil special operations, with a 661 lb (300 kg) useful load and is fitted with a camera and color monitor; can carry an external module to permit unmanned remote flying; with module removed, HELIOT can be piloted.

Dragonfly 300
Engine: Hirth F30A26AK, 105 hp.
MTOW: 450 kg.
Empty wt: 230 kg.
Rotor Dia: 6.6m.
Cabin width: 1.25m.
Vne: 80 kt.
Cruise: 65 kt.
HIGE: 6730 ft.
HOGE: 4760 ft.
Endurance: 2 hr 50 min.
Fuel cap: 64 lt.
ROC @ 37 kt: 1300 fpm.
Seats: 2.
Descent autorotation: 1200 fpm @ 35 kt.

Engine: Hirth F30, 130 hp
Rotor span: 6.6 m
MAUW: 450 kg
Empty weight: 230 kg
Fuel capacity: 60 lt
Max speed: 150 kph
Cruise speed: 110 kph
Minimum speed: 0 kph
Climb rate: 9.5 m/s
Seats: 2
Fuel consumption: 18 lt/hr
Price (1998): £65,000
Kit price (1998): $83,000