pres: George H Armitage
Jefferson Ave
Hillsgrove RI.
USA
Airplane builder circa 1929-30.
Era
NDN Aircraft NDN-6 Fieldmaster / NAC 6 Fieldmaster / THK TAYSU
First flown in 1981, the turboprop Fieldmaster agricultural aircraft features a built in ferry tank and a titanium hopper that forms an integral part of the fuselage structure.
THK bought up all rights to the NAC-6 Fieldmaster/Firemaster agricultural and firefighting aircraft, and tried to sell the aircraft on the market under the new name TAYSU (Tarimsal Havacilik ve Yangin Söndürme Uçagi). After producing only two airworthy and two completely assembled, but engineless aircraft during 1997-1999, the production was stopped because of the general economic crisis and particularly because of internal association difficulties. Since these difficulties were apparently insurmountable, and new agricultural and firefighting aircraft were urgently needed, at the end of 2001 five Polish Pezetel M-18B Dromader were bought.
NAC 6 Fieldmaster
Engine : PT 6 A 34AG, 552 shp
Length: 36.089 ft / 11.0 m
Height: 13.451 ft / 4.1 m
Wingspan: 53.15 ft / 16.2 m
Wing area: 357.365 sq.ft / 33.2 sq.m
Max take off weight: 8500.3 lb / 3855.0 kg
Weight empty: 4996.5 lb / 2266.0 kg
Max. weight carried: 3503.7 lb / 1589.0 kg
Hopper cap: 2642 lt
Max. speed: 143 kts / 265 km/h
Landing speed: 60 kts / 111 km/h
Ldg dist: 300 ft
Cruising speed: 126 kts / 233 km/h
Manoeuvring speed: 135 kt
Initial climb rate: 964.57 ft/min / 4.9 m/s
Service ceiling: 18209 ft / 5550 m
Wing load: 23.78 lb/sq.ft / 116.0 kg/sq.m
Range: 999 nm / 1850 km
Seats: 2
Crew: 1
NDN Aircraft NAC 1 Freelance
A conventional four seat light single, the Freelance can fold its wings to slip into a space four metres by nine metres. The swing wing capability has enabled a lengthy 39 foot span wing, providing an aspect ratio of over nine. The higher the aspect ratio the less the induced drag; enabling the manufacturer to claim that the Freelance, weight for weight, burns less fuel generating its lift than all other aircraft in its class.
First flown in September 1984.
Powered by a 180hpLycoming, the Freelance offers a cruise on 75 percent power of 117.3 knots (135 mph), an 800 fpm rate of climb, a take-off run (to 50feet) of 1380feet (421 metres) and a landing run (from 50 feet) of 1120 feet (341 metres). Total useful load is 1050 lb. Equipped with large section tyres, the Freelance can operate from grass strips. A 100 United States gallon capacity detachable belly tank is available for the spray role.
Engine: Lycoming, 180 hp
Wing span: 39 ft
Cruise 75%: 117.3 kt (135 mph)
ROC: 800 fpm
Take-off run (to 50 ft): 1380feet (421 metres)
Landing run (from 50 ft): 1120 feet (341 metres)
Useful load: 1050 lb
NDN Aircraft NDN-1 Firecracker / Turbo Firecracker
Designed by N.D. Norman, formerly of the Britten Norman Company, the prototype of the NDN 1 Fire-cracker (G NDNI) two seat civil and military training and sports aircraft made its maiden flight on 26 May 1977.
NDN Aircraft NDN-1 Firecracker Article
Desmond Norman designed, built and flew the prototype of a high performance piston single, the NDN1 Firecracker. Its origin can be traced to the day a friend of his thought he’d buy a Siai-Marchetti SF.260; Norman decided to build you a better airplane. Norman aimed to neither build nor market the Firecracker himself but to sell the whole manufacturing project to a smaller country that perhaps had never even built aircraft before.
Intended as a primary military trainer, the Firecracker is designed to + 9 and -6 Gs, and the prototype has full inverted fuel and oil, controllable three blade Hoffrnan prop, pushrod ailerons and elevators and a rate of roll that should exceed 200 degrees a second. Range is 1,390 nautical miles to dry tanks, 75 percent cruise 175 knots on a 260 horsepower Lycoming. Gross is 2,650 pounds, or 2,150 pounds for advanced aerobatics. It can operate to 50 feet inside 1,200 feet of run. The tall gear is designed to allow under wing weapon pods, and there is an under fuselage air brake to steady the machine on a diving at-tack run, and to keep it below Vne.
The cabin is wide and deep, to allow occupants to wear full military flying gear, and its layout is very military. The rear seat is substantially raised above the front one, to give the observer/instructor a remarkable view of what is happening. That straight, low aspect ratio wing looks odd on such a high performance design, but it is easier to build than a tapered wing.
From this aircraft has been developed the turboprop powered NDN-1T Turbo Firecracker, the first flown on 1 September 1983.
NDN-1T Turbo-Firecracker
Engine: 1 x P&WAC PT6A turboprop, 410 kW
Span: 7.9 m
Length: 8.3 m
Wing area: 11.9 sq.m
Empty wt: 1210 kg
MTOW: 1830 kg
Max speed: 375 kph
Initial ROC: 628 m / min
Ceiling: 8260 m
T/O run (to 15m): 530 m
Ldg run (from 15m): 760 m
Fuel internal: 405 lt
Range: 1120 miles
NDN Aircraft Ltd
Established 1976 by N. D. Norman, formerly of Fairey Britten-Norman, to develop the NDN-1 Firecracker two-seat trainer/sport aircraft. The first piston-engined prototype flew in May 1977; turboprop variant of Firecracker first known as NDN 1T Turbo Firecracker (see The Norman Aeroplane Company). Also developed Fieldmaster agricultural aircraft (first flown 1981) and Freelance four-seat utility lightplane (first flown 1984).
Navion Rangemaster Aircraft Co
USA
In 1972 Navion Rangemaster purchased the assets of the bankrupt Navion Aircraft Company, including jigs, machine tools, and spare parts to support Ryan/North American Navion lightplanes. In 1973 production of the Navion Rangemaster restarted, the first aircraft flying late the following year. Consolidated Holding Incorporated acquired control of the company in 1975 and announced plans to manufacture the Rangemaster H at the rate of one per week.
Navion Aircraft Co
1959: Navion Aircraft Co (Div of Tusco Corp)
Galveston TX.
USA
1965: Navion Aircraft Corp,
Seguin TX.
USA
Founded in 1965 by the American Navion Society to provide spares and support for owners of Ryan/North American Navion lightplanes. All rights to the aircraft were acquired and a developed version, the five-seat Navion Rangemaster H, was produced before the company was liquidated and taken over by the Navion Rangemaster Aircraft Company.
c.1970: Janox Corp
Arcanum OH.
USA
1972: Navion Rangemaster Aircraft Corp,
Wharton TX.
USA
Navickas Load Ranger 2000
Designed and built by Tom Navickas, the Load Ranger is primarily targeted at the aerial spraying market, but applications for medium freight hauling, law enforcement and special missions also being considered.
Development started July 1996; first flight in April 1997 and certificated in the Experimental category; 30 flight hours logged by February 1998. Restricted use certification was aimed for third quarter of 1998, but no further information.
The structure was a chrome-alloy tubing skeleton with semi-monocoque skin and a slab-sided fuselage with large centre cargo compartment accessed via a roller shutter. The landing gear was tubular welded steel skids.
Power was from one Allison 250-C18 turboshaft, rated at 236kW for take-off, and a max continuous rating of 201kW driving a two-blade metal main rotor with blade folding. Fuel capacity in standard tank was 190 litres, and with auxiliary or ferry tank, 758 litres.
A pilot and operator were in tandem seats. A freight compartment had a typical load capacity of 907kg. Alternatively, six passengers can be seated side saddle in the cargo compartment with roller doors stowed.
It was priced at US$500,000 (with Army surplus Allison T63 engine and drive train) or US$1.5 million (with civil Allison 250-C18 engine and Bell 206 drive train) in 1999.
Tom Navickas was killed in the Load Ranger in Jersey fathers day 2005 and killed his nephew with him. Apparently they ran out of fuel.
Load Ranger 2000
Main rotor diameter: 10.15m
Tail rotor diameter: 1.58m
Fuselage length: 10.44m
Overall length, rotors turning: 11.79m
Overall width: 0.70m
Height to top of rotor head: 3.35m
Height over tail fin: 3.20m
Weight empty: 438kg
Max gross weight: 1520kg
Useful internal load: 1081kg
External slung load: 1045kg
Never-exceed speed: 278km/h
Hover ceiling, IGE: 2745m
Hover ceiling, OGE: 1065m
Service ceiling: 4725m
Range, with max fuel: 547km
Naval Air Establishment Chiang Hung
The Naval Air Establishment Chiang Hung (江鴻 – “River Swan”) was a reconnaissance seaplane developed for the Chinese Navy.
First flown in July 1931, it was a conventional biplane design with single-bay, unstaggered wings of equal span and accommodation for the pilot and observer in tandem, open cockpits. The landing gear consisted of twin pontoons. Only two were built, by the Shanghai Naval Air Establishment.
Powerplant: 1 × Wright Whirlwind, 123 kW (165 hp)
Length: 8.33 m (27 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 10.87 m (35 ft 8 in)
Height: 3.55 m (11 ft 8 in)
Empty weight: 740 kg (1,628 lb)
Gross weight: 1,180 kg (2,596 lb)
Crew: Two
Naval Air Establishment [China]
The Naval Air Establishment was a division of the Chinese Navy established in 1918 in Mamoi to develop seaplanes for maritime reconnaissance, training, and torpedo-bombing. It was transferred to Shanghai in 1931.
Organization:
Captain Yu Tsao Barr
Captain Tseng Yee King – Director General from 1931 onwards
Captain Wong Tsoo
Lieutenant S F Wong
Early aircraft produced by the NAE were made of timber and fabric with assistance of foreign designers.
Two principal aircraft types were built: the Chiang Hung two/three-seat touring seaplane, which first flew in July 1931, and the Chiang Gae’n two-seat reconnaissance biplane or advanced military trainer.
Aircraft produced include:
Chiang Hung (1930) – 2 or 3 seat touring plane and reconnaissance aircraft
Chiang Hau (1932) – powered with single 165 hp Wright Whirlwind engine
Chiang Gaen
Nin Hai
DH.6 like seaplane
Beeng (1918?)- tractor biplane/float fighter bomber with single 360 hp prop engine
Char1918 – 2 seat primary trainer seaplane
Ding (1934) – 2 seat bombing/torpedo seaplane using a single 360hp Rolls Royce engine
Wu (1918?) – general purpose observation aircraft
Yee (1918?) – 2 seat advance trainer and variant of Char seaplane
