Calumet Snobird Explorer
{{Short description|American autogyro}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name= Snobird Explorer | image= | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Autogyro | national origin=United States | manufacturer=Calumet Motorsports | designer= | first flight=May 1997 | introduced= | retired= | status=Production completed | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built=at least 1 of all manufacture | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Calumet Snobird Explorer was an American autogyro designed and produced by Calumet Motorsports of Lansing, Illinois, introduced in May 1997. Now out of production, when it was available, the aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition, page 348. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998. {{ISBN|0-9636409-4-1}}
Design and development
Calumet Aeronautics, owned and operated by Tommy Milton, designed an entry level Ultralight gyroplane. Calumet Aeronautics then purchased the assets of the SnoBird Aircraft Company. After moving the assets from Bristol, TN. to Lansing, IL. Tommy Milton and partner, George Smundin inventoried the SnoBird assets and decided to put the entire Snobird line back in production after evaluating the design integrity and high quality of the manuals. Tommy and George decided to put the Snobird line back into production. The company name was changed to Calumet Motorsports due to the difficulty of purchasing bearings and other critical components. The gyroplane business grew and an additional partner was taken on who, eventually bought out Tommy and George.
The new owner later sold the business.
The new owner sold parts of the business back to Calumet Motorsports. The new owner resold the business once again and the design remains out of production.{{cite web|url=http://www.calumetair.com/about.php|title=Calumetair - Gyroplanes & accessories|work=CalumetAir|accessdate=19 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427143453/http://www.calumetair.com/about.php|archive-date=27 April 2015|url-status=usurped}}
The Snobird Explorer was designed as a low-cost, entry-level autogyro, to comply with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles, including the category's maximum empty weight of {{convert|254|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}. The aircraft has a standard empty weight of {{convert|244|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}. It features a single main rotor, a single-seat open cockpit, tricycle landing gear and a twin-cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke, single-ignition {{convert|40|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 447 engine in pusher configuration.
The aircraft fuselage is made from a combination of composite material and aluminum and features a tall tail design to reduce engine-induced yaw. The kit was supplied with jig pre-drilled holes and was powder coated. Its two-bladed rotor has a diameter of {{convert|23.0|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}. Full fuel is {{convert|5|u.s.gal}}.
The standard day, sea level, no wind takeoff with a {{convert|40|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} engine is {{convert|100|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} and the landing roll is {{convert|20|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}.
Operational history
By 1998 the company reported that one aircraft had been completed and was flying, with customer deliveries to commence later in 1998.
In April 2015 six examples of Snobird autogyros of all manufacture were registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration, although a total of 14 had been registered at one time.{{cite web|url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=&Modeltxt=SNOBIRD&PageNo=1|title = Make / Model Inquiry Results|accessdate = 19 April 2015|last = Federal Aviation Administration|date = 19 April 2015|archive-date = April 27, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150427143341/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=&Modeltxt=SNOBIRD&PageNo=1|url-status = dead}}
Specifications (Snobird Explorer)
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|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Rotax 447
|eng1 type=twin cylinder, air-cooled, two stroke aircraft engine
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