Air Copter A3C
{{Short description|French autogyro}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=A3C | image= | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type = Autogyro | national origin = France | manufacturer = Air Copter | designer = | first flight = | introduced = | retired = | status = In production (2011) | primary user = | more users = | produced = | number built = | developed from = | variants with their own articles = }} |
The Air Copter A3C is a French autogyro, designed and produced by Air Copter of Lherm, Haute-Garonne. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 174. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
Design and development
The A3C was designed to comply with amateur-built aircraft rules. It features a single main rotor, a two-seat side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit with a windshield, tricycle landing gear and a four-cylinder, air and liquid-cooled, four-stroke, dual-ignition, turbocharged {{convert|115|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 914 or a normally-aspirated {{convert|100|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 912S engine mounted in pusher configuration.
Air Copter is well known as a designer and manufacturer of gyroplane rotor blades and other dynamic components and they also make their own components for the A3C. The aircraft's {{convert|8.40|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} diameter rotor has a chord of {{convert|20|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} and employs a NACA 8H12 airfoil. The main rotor has a pre-rotator to shorten take-off distance. The aircraft has an empty weight of {{convert|250|kg|lb|abbr=on}} and a gross weight of {{convert|450|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, giving a useful load of {{convert|200|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.{{cite web|url = http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-All-the-Worlds-Aircraft/Air-Copter--Air-Copter-Sarl-France.html|title = Air Copter - Air Copter Sarl (France), Aircraft - Manufacturer|access-date = 26 December 2012|last = Jane's Information Group|date = 3 November 2011|archive-date = 26 January 2013|archive-url = https://archive.today/20130126201039/http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-All-the-Worlds-Aircraft/Air-Copter--Air-Copter-Sarl-France.html|url-status = dead}}
Specifications (A3C)
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|crew=one
|capacity=one passenger
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|airfoil=NACA 8H12
|empty weight kg=250
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|gross weight kg=450
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|fuel capacity={{convert|34|L}}
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|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Rotax 914
|eng1 type=four cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, turbocharged, four stroke aircraft engine
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|eng1 hp=115
|prop blade number=3
|prop name=composite
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|rot number=1
|rot dia m=8.40
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|max speed kmh=170
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|cruise speed kmh=140
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