Sawyer Skyjacker II
{{Short description|American homebuilt research aircraft}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2021}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=Skyjacker II | image= | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Experimental homebuilt aircraft | national origin=United States | manufacturer= | designer=Ralph V. Sawyer | first flight=3 July 1975 | introduced= | retired= | status= Production completed (1974) | primary user= | more users= | produced= 1974 | number built=One | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Sawyer Skyjacker II is an American homebuilt aircraft that was designed and produced by Ralph V. Sawyer of Lancaster, California, in 1974. It first flew on 3 July 1975.{{Cite web |title=American airplanes: Sa - Si |url=http://aerofiles.com/_sa.html |access-date=2022-06-10 |website=aerofiles.com}} The aircraft was intended as a research project and as such only one was built.Plane and Pilot: 1978 Aircraft Directory, page 152. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. {{ISBN|0-918312-00-0}}
Design and development
The Skyjacker II was designed to explore ultra-low aspect ratio wing designs and in particular the stability, controllability and capability of the configuration. The design was intended to be easily scalable to much larger aircraft. It has no complex curves and was designed to be easy to construct. It features a cantilever mid-wing, a two-seats-in-tandem enclosed cockpit under a glazed canopy, fixed tricycle landing gear with wheel pants and a single engine in pusher configuration.
The aircraft is made from sheet aluminum, has an {{convert|18.0|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} span wing and is powered by a {{convert|200|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D engine. The aircraft has an empty weight of {{convert|1650|lb|kg|abbr=on}} and a gross weight of {{convert|2250|lb|kg|abbr=on}}, giving a useful load of {{convert|600|lb|kg|abbr=on}}. With full fuel of {{convert|50|u.s.gal}} the payload is {{convert|300|lb|kg|abbr=on}}.{{Cite web|url = http://aerofiles.com/_sa.html|title = American airplanes: Sa - Si |accessdate = 18 October 2013|last = Aerofiles|year = n.d.}}
The aircraft proved to be stall and spin proof. Its standard day, sea level take off run is {{convert|1200|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} and landing roll is {{convert|1000|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}.
The sole example built was registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration in 1974, but its registration was cancelled in August 2013.{{cite web|url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=7317|title = N-Number Inquiry Results - N7317|accessdate = 18 October 2013|last = Federal Aviation Administration|date = 18 October 2013}}
Specifications (Skyjacker II)
{{Aircraft specs
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=one
|capacity=one passenger
|length m=
|length ft=18
|length in=0
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=18
|span in=0
|span note=
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|height in=
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|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=
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|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=1650
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=2250
|gross weight note=
|fuel capacity={{convert|50|u.s.gal}}
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D
|eng1 type=four cylinder, air-cooled, fuel-injected, four stroke aircraft engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=200
|prop blade number=
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|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=130
|max speed kts=
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|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=105
|cruise speed kts=
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|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=45
|stall speed kts=
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|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
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|never exceed speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=525
|range nmi=
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|ceiling m=
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|g limits=
|roll rate=
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|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=400
|climb rate note=
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}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N7317.html Photos of the Sykjacker in 2010]
- [http://svsm.org/gallery/skyjacker Photos of the Skyjacker]
Category:1970s United States experimental aircraft