A-B Helicopters A/W 95

A/W 95
A/W 95
General information
Type	Helicopter
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	A-B Helicopters
Status	Plans not longer available (2012)
Number built	at least two
History
Developed from	Adams-Wilson Choppy
Variants	Vortech A/W 95

The A-B Helicopters A/W 95 is an American helicopter, produced by A-B Helicopters in the form of plans for amateur construction.^[1]

By 2012 the A-B Helicopters website had been taken down and plans are no longer available.^[2]

The design was developed into the Vortech A/W 95 and plans for that version remain available from Vortech.^[3]

Design and development

The A/W 95 is a development of the Adams-Wilson Choppy, which the A/W designation acknowledges. The A/W 95 was designed to comply with the US Experimental Amateur-built rules, since the empty weight is too heavy for the FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules, which stipulates a maximum empty weight of 254 lb (115 kg). The aircraft has a standard empty weight of 271 lb (123 kg). It features a single main rotor, a single-seat open cockpit without a windshield, skid landing gear and a twin cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke, dual-ignition 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503 engine.^[1]

The aircraft fuselage is an open frame made from bolted-together and gusseted aluminum tubing. Its 19.5 ft (5.9 m) diameter two-bladed extruded aluminum rotor has a chord of 7 in (17.8 cm) and employs a symmetrical airfoil. The transmission is constructed from a belt and chain mechanism. With its standard empty weight of 271 lb (123 kg) and a gross weight of 490 lb (222 kg), the useful load is 219 lb (99 kg). Fuel tank capacity is 5 U.S. gallons (19 L; 4.2 imp gal), rendering a full-fuel payload of 189 lb (86 kg).^[1]

While the A/W 95 is primarily plans-built, during the time that A-B Helicopters was in business some pre-fabricated parts were available.^[1]

Operational history

By January 2013 two examples had been registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration.^[4]

Specifications (A/W 95)

Data from Bayerl^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: one
Airfoil: symmetrical
Empty weight: 271 lb (123 kg)
Gross weight: 489 lb (222 kg)
Fuel capacity: 5 U.S. gallons (19 L; 4.2 imp gal)
Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 503 two cylinder, air-cooled, two stroke aircraft engine, 50 hp (37 kW)
Main rotor diameter: 19 ft 6 in (5.94 m)

Performance

Maximum speed: 65 mph (104 km/h, 56 kn)
Cruise speed: 60 mph (97 km/h, 52 kn)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 189. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
^ A-B Helicopters (2012). "A-B Helicopters". Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
^ Downey, Julia: 2005 Trikes 'Chutes and Rotorcraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 22, Number 2, February 2005, page 60. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
^ Federal Aviation Administration (January 21, 2013). "Make / Model Inquiry Results". Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2013.

External links

Photo of an A/W 95 in flight

[WDLA11-1] Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 189. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X

[AB-2] A-B Helicopters (2012). "A-B Helicopters". Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2013.

[KitplanesFeb2005-3] Downey, Julia: 2005 Trikes 'Chutes and Rotorcraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 22, Number 2, February 2005, page 60. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851

[FAAReg-4] Federal Aviation Administration (January 21, 2013). "Make / Model Inquiry Results". Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2013.

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