Jeffair Barracuda

Barracuda
Role	Sports plane
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Jeffair for homebuilding
Designer	Geoffrey Siers
First flight	29 June 1975

The Jeffair Barracuda is a high-performance sporting monoplane that was developed in the United States in the 1970s and is marketed for homebuilding. Designed and built by Geoffrey Siers, the prototype won the prize for "Most Outstanding New Design" at the EAA Fly-in in 1976.^[1] It was a low-wing cantilever monoplane of wooden construction with retractable tricycle undercarriage and side-by-side seating for two. Around 150 sets of plans had sold by 1977.

Development

Geoffrey Siers was a former RAF pilot and engineer for Boeing in 1967. He set out to design an aircraft that was fast, aerobatic, two place, and had range to fly long cross-country flights. The aircraft was refined after a full size cockpit mockup was made. The lightweight construction of the plywood-covered wooden de Havilland Mosquito was the inspiration for the materials choice. The retractable landing gear came from a Piper PA-24 Comanche. The wings were a three-piece design^[2]

Operational history

Test flights were performed in 1975. The aircraft takes off at 70 mph (113 km/h) and climbs at 2000 feet per minute (10.2 m/s). Full flap stalls were recorded as low as 54 mph (87 km/h).^[3]

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: one pilot
• Capacity: one passenger
• Length: 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m)
• Wingspan: 24 ft 9 in (7.54 m)
• Wing area: 120 ft² (11,15 m²)
• Empty weight: 1,495 lb (678 kg)
• Gross weight: 2,300 lb (1,043 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming GO-435-2, 220 hp (164 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 218 mph (351 km/h)
• Range: 450 miles (724 km)
• Rate of climb: 2,200 ft/min (11.2 m/s)

References

1. "76 Awards". Sport Aviation. October 1976.
2. Geoffrey Siers (May 1972). "Barracuda". Sport Aviation.
3. "Barracuda flies". Sport Aviation. January 1976.

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 535.
• Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1977-78. London: Jane's Yearbooks. p. 544.
• Archived copy of Siersflight website