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Ekin Airbuggy

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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

The Ekin WHE Airbuggy is a British single-seat autogyro designed and built by the W. H. Ekin (Engineering) Company in Northern Ireland.

Development

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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

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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

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Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ "English sale of new gyroplane". Flight International. 11 December 1975. p. 852.
  2. ^ 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

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