Aero Commander 100

{{Infobox aircraft

|name= Aero Commander 100
Darter Commander

|image= File:Aero Commander 100 Bendigo 1988.jpg

|alt=

|caption=Aero Commander 100 at Bendigo, Victoria, Australia in March 1988

|type= Light aircraft

|national_origin= United States

|manufacturer= Volaircraft/Aero Commander

|designer=

|first_flight= 1960

|introduction=

|retired=

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The Aero Commander 100, various models of which were known as the Darter Commander and Lark Commander, is an American light aircraft produced in the 1960s. It was a high-wing monoplane of conventional design, equipped with fixed tricycle undercarriage.

Design and development

The aircraft was originally designed by Volaircraft, first flying in 1960. The firm marketed the original three-seat version as the Volaire 1035 and a four-seat version with a more powerful engine as the Volaire 1050 before North American Rockwell purchased all rights to the design on July 12, 1965, for production by its Aero Commander division. Production of the Darter Commander version continued until 1969 and of the revised Lark Commander until 1971 (by which time, Rockwell had dropped the Aero Commander brand name).

A Volaire 1050 was exhibited at the 1966 Hanover Air Show and later sold to Finland. Other examples of the type were exported to Australia and Canada.

Finding the light aircraft market too competitive for its liking, Rockwell ceased production of the Lark Commander in 1971 and sold the rights to all versions of the aircraft to Phoenix Aircraft of Euclid, Ohio,{{cite magazine |title=Private Flying: Aero Commander designs sold |magazine=Flight International |date=December 16, 1971 |volume= 100|issue=3275 |page=971 |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1971/1971%20-%202715.html |access-date=November 16, 2019}} but this company never actually put it into production.

Variants

=Volaircraft=

Model 10 – prototypes
Volaire 1035 – three-seat production version powered by Lycoming O-290
Volaire 1050 – four-seat production version powered by Lycoming O-320

=Aero Commander/Rockwell=

File:Commander100.jpg

File:N4019X.jpg

Aero Commander 100 – alias Volaire 1050
Aero Commander 100A – alias Volaire 1035
Darter Commander – 100 with revised windows and other minor modifications
Lark Commander 180 – revised aerodynamics, with swept fin and rudder and {{convert|180|hp|kW|abbr=on}} Lycoming O-360-A2F engine. Production from 1968.Taylor 1971, p. 366.

Specifications (Darter Commander)

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1969–70 Taylor 1969, p.398

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|fuel capacity=44 US Gallons (166.5 L)

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|eng1 name=Lycoming O-320-A

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|cruise speed note=at 7,500 ft (2,285 m) (75% power)

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}}

References

=Notes=

=Bibliography=

Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1969–70. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1969.
{{cite book |editor-last=Taylor |editor-first=John W. R. |editor-link=John W. R. Taylor |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1971–72 |year=1971 |location=London |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Co., Ltd.|isbn=0-354-00094-2}}