Piel Beryl
{{short description|1960s French light aircraft}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=Piel CP.70 Beryl | image=Piel CP.70 Beryl F-PMEQ Beynes 06.08.65 edited-3.jpg | caption=The prototype CP.70 Beryl F-PMEQ at Beynes-Thiverval airfield near Beynes, Yvelines near Paris in August 1965 }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Sport aircraft | national origin=France | manufacturer=Homebuilt | designer=Claude Piel | first flight=ca. 1965 | introduced= | retired= | status=in current operation | primary user=private pilot owners | number built= | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Piel CP.70 Beryl is a French twin-seat, single-engine sport aircraft designed by Claude Piel. It was first flown in France in the 1960s and marketed for amateur construction.Taylor 1989, p.725Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015–16, page 100. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. {{ISSN|1368-485X}}
Design and development
Designed by Claude Piel, the Beryl uses the same wing design as the Piel Emeraude but with a new fuselage, exchanging the Emeraude's side-by-side configuration seating for seating in tandem. As originally designed, the aircraft is fitted with fixed, tricycle undercarriage with a steerable nosewheel. Construction throughout is of doped fabric-covered wood.Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1977–78, p.496Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011–12, page 96. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
An aerobatic version, designated the CP.750 was also developed. This differs from the basic CP.70 in having a reduced wingspan, fixed tailwheel undercarriage and a slightly longer fuselage. It retains the CP.70's wooden wings, but the fuselage is built of welded steel tube and still covered in fabric.
Operational history
The Beryl has been homebuilt by amateur constructors and in 2009 there were still four examples active on the French civil aircraft register. The prototype F-PMEQ, completed in 1965 with tricycle undercarriage, was still active in 2014 modified as a CP.703 with tail-wheel undercarriage. Examples of the design have also been completed in Brazil and the United States.
Variants
;CP.70
:Standard variant for homebuilding powered by a {{convert|65|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Continental A65-8F or {{convert|118|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Lycoming O-235 engine.
;CP.750
:a CP-70 with 150 hp Lycoming O-320 engine with a reduced wingspan, fixed tailwheel undercarriage, and a slightly longer fuselage.
;CP.751
:CP-750 with 200 hp Lycoming O-360-A2A engine."French homebuilts gather at RSA rally" 1981, p.545
Specifications (CP.70)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1977–78, p.496
|prime units? = met
|crew=One pilot
|capacity=1 passenger
|length m=6.45
|length ft=21
|length in=2
|span m=8.25
|span ft=27
|span in=1
|height m=1.60
|height ft=5
|height in=3
|wing area sqm=10.9
|wing area sqft=117
|empty weight kg=320
|empty weight lb=700
|gross weight kg=540
|gross weight lb=1,190
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Continental A65-8F
|eng1 kw=49
|eng1 hp=65
|max speed kmh=175
|max speed mph=109
|range km=600
|range miles=372
|ceiling m=3,000
|ceiling ft=9,850
}}
Notes
{{reflist}}
References
{{Commons category}}
- {{cite journal |title=French homebuilts gather at RSA rally |journal=Flight International |date=22 August 1981 |pages=545 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1981/1981%20-%202729.html |accessdate=2009-01-06}}
- {{cite book |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1977–78 |publisher=Jane's Publishing |location=London }}
- {{cite book |last= Taylor |first= Michael J. H. |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |isbn= 0-7106-0710-5 }}
{{Piel aircraft}}
Category:1960s French sport aircraft
Category:Aircraft first flown in 1965
Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft
Category:Single-engined piston aircraft