Proto 1
{{Short description|Romanian training biplane}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
|name=Proto-1 |image=Proto-1 prototip.jpg |caption=Proto-1, the first aircraft designed at Arsenalul Aeronautic }}{{Infobox aircraft type |type=Trainer aircraft |manufacturer=Arsenalul Aeronautic |designer=Ștefan Protopopescu |first flight=1922 |introduced=never |retired= |status= |primary user=Romania |more users= |produced= |number built=less than 25 |variants with their own articles= }} |
Proto 1 was a training biplane designed by Major Ștefan Protopopescu in collaboration with Dumitru Baziliu and Gheorghe Ticău at Arsenalul Aeronautic in Bucharest in 1922. It was the first Romanian airplane to be built in a specialized enterprise.{{cite book| title= Istoria aviației române |author=Nicolae Balotescu |year=1984|publisher=Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică|location=Bucharest|pages= 207-209|language=ro}}
The first experimental flights were carried out by its designer, Ștefan Protopopescu, who held the Romanian pilot licence No.1.
File:Protopopescu face-to-face with his cartoon portrait.jpg
Production
File:Proto 1 - Astra, Arad.jpg
The Ministry of War ordered 25 aircraft on 10 January 1923{{cite web|url=https://www.natgeo.ro/articole/istorie/9257-acei-zburatori-uitati|title=Acei zburători uitaţi|language=ro|work=NatGeo|date=22 January 2011}} of this type from the Fabrica de avioane Astra. The Astra Factory changed the wings on its own initiative, which reduced the strength of the wings, and during an early test flight, one of the wings broke and the aircraft crashed into the Mureș river, killing the test pilot. After the accident, production of Proto 1 aircraft was halted and improvements were made to the design, after which Astra manufactured a new variant as the Proto 2.
Specifications
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Romanian Aeronautical Constructions 1905-1974{{cite book|url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Romanian_Aeronautical_Constructions_1905-1974.pdf|title=Romanian Aeronautical Constructions 1905-1974|year=1974|author=Ion Gudju |author2=Gheroghe Iacobescu |author3=Ovidiu Ionescu |page=96}}
|prime units?=met
|crew=2
|length m=7
|span m=9.6
|height m=2.9
|wing area sqm=28.86
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=670
|gross weight kg=1080
|max takeoff weight kg=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Hispano-Suiza
|eng1 type=water-cooled V-8 engine
|eng1 hp=180
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=wooden propeller
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop dia note=
|max speed kmh=183
|cruise speed kmh=
|stall speed kmh=81
|never exceed speed kmh=
|range km=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=6000
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|climb rate ms=
|time to altitude={{cvt|4000|m}} in 29 minutes
|wing loading kg/m2=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|power/mass=
|more performance=
}}