American Gyro AG-4 Crusader
| AG-4 Crusader | |
|---|---|
| Role | |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | American Gyro Company |
| Designer | Thomas M. Shelton |
| First flight | 1935 |
| Introduction | 1935 |
The American Gyro AG-4 Crusader is a small twin engine aircraft.
Design
The aircraft was designed as the Shelton Flying Wing in 1933. After wind tunnel testes, the AG-4 was developed. The American Gyro AG-4 Crusader is a aluminum skined four place low-wing twin engine aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear, twin tail booms with individual rudders, and a teardrop shaped fuselage. The wing uses trailing edge flaps with 25 gallon fuel tanks are mounted on each wing root. Retractable landing gear were also tested on the model.[1]
Operational history
The protoype was painted copper colored with green leather seats. It was tested in 1935 at Denver Colorado.[2] The aircraft was funded from stock issue in the Crusader Aircraft Corporation, a parent of the American Gyro Company. The company folded under securities fraud investigations before the Crusader could go into production[3]
Variants
- American Gyro AG-4 Crusader
- American Gyro AG-6 Buccaner
- A six place variant design powered by Menasco engines[4]
Specifications (AG-4 Crusader)
Data from AAHS Journal
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 3 passengers
- Length: 21 ft 7 in (6.58 m)
- Wingspan: 36 ft (11 m)
- Height: 7 ft (2.1 m)
- Wing area: 206 sq ft (19.1 m2)
- Empty weight: 2,000 lb (907 kg)
- Gross weight: 3,000 lb (1,361 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 50 gal
- Powerplant: 2 × Menasco C4-S Inline four cylnder piston, 150 hp (110 kW) each
- Propellers: 2-bladed
Performance
References
- ^ AAHS Journal: 42. Spring 2004.
- ^ E Stanton Brown (August 1935). "The American Gyro Crusader". Popular Science.
- ^ The Journal of Air Law , Volume 8. p. 71.
- ^ Aerospace yearbook, Volume 18. Manufacturers Aircraft Association, Manufacturers Aircraft Association, Inc., New York, Aerospace Industries Association of America. p. 268.
External links
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