The Ekin WHE Airbuggy is a British single-seat autogyro designed and built by the W. H. Ekin (Engineering) Company in Northern Ireland.
| WHE Airbuggy | |
|---|---|
| Role | Light autogyro |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | W. H. Ekin (Engineering) Company |
| First flight | 1 February 1973 |
| Introduction | 1975 |
| Developed from | McCandless M-4 Gyroplane |
Development edit
The company was formed in 1969 to manufacturer six McCandless M-4 Gyroplanes under licence. The company improved the design to produce the Airbuggy which was first flown on 1 February 1973. It was a conventional single-seat autogyro with a rear-mounted 75 hp (56 kW) Volkswagen flat-four motor car engine. It had a fixed tricycle landing gear with an open cockpit in a nacelle forward of the rotor pylon. The first Airbuggy was delivered in December 1975.[1]
Specifications edit
Data from Jane's all the world's aircraft, 1975-76[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m)
- Height: 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m)
- Empty weight: 355 lb (161 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 650 lb (295 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × 1600-1800cc Volkswagen air cooled engine 4-cyl. air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine, 75 hp (56 kW)
- Main rotor diameter: 21 ft 9 in (6.63 m)
- Main rotor area: 405.0 sq ft (37.63 m2)
- Propellers: 2-bladed Hoffman pusher propeller, 4 ft 9 in (1.45 m) diameter
Performance
- Maximum speed: 69 kn (80 mph, 128 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 52 kn (60 mph, 97 km/h)
- Never exceed speed: 69 kn (80 mph, 128 km/h)
- Range: 121 nmi (140 mi, 225 km)
- Rate of climb: 1,000.6 ft/min (5.083 m/s)
- Disk loading: 1.7 lb/sq ft (8.5 kg/m2)
- Power/mass: 0.188 kW/kg (0.115 hp/lb)
See also edit
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References edit
Notes edit
- ^ "English sale of new gyroplane". Flight International. 11 December 1975. p. 852.
- ^ Taylor, John W.R., ed. (1975). Jane's all the world's aircraft, 1975-76 (66th annual ed.). New York: Franklin Watts Inc. ISBN 978-0531032503.
Bibliography edit
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.