Aviat Eagle II

Eagle II
Role Aerobatic aircraft
Manufacturer Christen
Aviat
Designer Frank Christensen
First flight February 1977




Christen Eagle II

The Christen Eagle II, which later became the Aviat Eagle II in the mid-1990s, is an aerobatic sporting biplane aircraft that has been produced in the United States since the late 1970s.

Design

Designed to compete with the Pitts Special by Frank Christensen originally of Logan, Utah, the Eagle II is marketed in kit form for, homebuilding. It set a new standard for completely documented homebuilding kits that revolutionized the homebuilding industry. The Eagle II is a small aircraft of conventional configuration with single-bay, equal-span staggered biplane wings braced with streamlined flying and landing wires and a I-strut to form a box truss. The pilot and a single passenger sit in tandem underneath a large bubble canopy. The tailwheel undercarriage is fixed, with the mainwheels mounted on spring aluminum legs. The main wheels are housed in streamlined fairings. The fuselage and tail are constructed of chromoly steel welded tube, with the forward fuselage skinned in aluminum and the rear fuselage and tail covered in fabric. The wing structure is Sitka spruce wood and fabric covered. The engine cowling is fiberglass. By 2011 over 350 aircraft were flying.[1]

Operational history

Christen Eagle II

In 1979, the Eagles Aerobatic Team (Charlie Hillard, Tom Poberezny, and Gene Soucy) chose the Christen Eagle as a replacement for their Pitts Special airshow act "The Red Devils". The act continued until 1995. All three Christen Eagles hang from the lobby of the EAA Airventure Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.[2]

Variants

Christen Eagle I
Single Seat Variant. Lycoming AEIO-360 200 hp (150 kW). First design model, built at the San Carlos Airport.
Christen/Aviat Eagle II
Most common variant, two seat dual controls. Lycoming AEIO-360 200 hp (150 kW).
Christen Super Eagle
Very rare, only one or two built. Lycoming AEIO-540 300 hp (220 kW).

Specifications

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Christen Eagle.
  1. Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 94. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  2. "Christen Eagles". Retrieved 29 March 2011.
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