American Gyro AG-4 Crusader
| AG-4 Crusader | |
|---|---|
| Role | |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | American Gyro Company |
| Designer | Thomas M. Shelton |
| First flight | 1935 |
| Introduction | 1935 |
|
| |
The American Gyro AG-4 Crusader is a small twin engine aircraft. The aircraft was designed as the Shelton Flying Wing in 1933 by Thomas Miles Shelton.[1]
Design
After wind tunnel testes, the AG-4 was developed. The American Gyro AG-4 Crusader is an aluminum skined four place low-wing twin engine aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear, twin tail booms with individual rudders, and a teardrop shaped fuselage. The wing uses trailing edge flaps and 25 gallon fuel tanks are mounted in each wing root. Retractable landing gear were also tested on the model.[2]
Operational history
The prototype was painted copper colored with green leather seats. It was tested in 1935 at Denver Colorado.[3] The aircraft was funded from stock issue in the Crusader Aircraft Corporation, a parent of the American Gyro Company. The company folded in 1938 under securities fraud investigations before the Crusader could go into production[4]
Popular culture
Tootsietoy came out with a die-cast metal toy of the plane, No. 719 in its catalogue.[5]
Variants
- American Gyro AG-4 Crusader
- American Gyro AG-6 Buccaner
- A six place variant design powered by Menasco engines[6]
Specifications (AG-4 Crusader)
Data from AAHS Journal
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 3 passengers
- Length: 21 ft 7 in (6.58 m)
- Wingspan: 36 ft (11 m)
- Height: 7 ft (2.1 m)
- Wing area: 206 sq ft (19.1 m2)
- Empty weight: 2,000 lb (907 kg)
- Gross weight: 3,000 lb (1,361 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 50 gal
- Powerplant: 2 × Menasco C4-S Inline four cylnder piston, 150 hp (110 kW) each
- Propellers: 2-bladed
Performance
References
- ↑ http://www.dmairfield.com/airplanes/NX14429/index.html
- ↑ "none". AAHS Journal: 42. Spring 2004.
- ↑ E Stanton Brown (August 1935). "The American Gyro Crusader". Popular Science.
- ↑ The Journal of Air Law , Volume 8. p. 71.
- ↑ http://www.tootsietoys.info/Tootsietoys-Aircraft.html
- ↑ Aerospace yearbook, Volume 18. Manufacturers Aircraft Association, Manufacturers Aircraft Association, Inc., New York, Aerospace Industries Association of America. p. 268.
Bibliography
- Roca, Alexander Crusader: The Story of the Shelton Flying Wing, its Company, and its Creator Rare Birds Publishing; 1st edition (1989) ISBN 978-0962288609