Victa Aircruiser
{{Short description|1960s Australian four-seat touring monoplane}}
__NOTOC__
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=Victa Aircruiser | image= File:ZK-DAH.jpg | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Four-seat light touring monoplane | national origin=Australia | manufacturer=Victa Ltd | designer=Henry Millicer | first flight=18 July 1966 | introduced= | retired= | status= | primary user= | number built=1 | developed from= Victa Airtourer | variants with their own articles=AESL CT/4 Airtrainer }} |
The Victa Aircruiser was a 1960s Australian four-seat touring monoplane designed by Henry Millicer and built by Victa. It was not put into production by Victa, and the rights were sold to AESL in 1969.
Development
Following the success of the earlier Airtourer, Millicer designed a four-seat version which he called the Aircruiser. The prototype registered VH-MVR first flew on 18 July 1966. Like the Airtourer it was a low-wing monoplane with a fixed nosewheel landing gear and powered by a {{convert|210|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Continental IO-360-H piston engine. Rather than the sliding clear Perspex canopy of the Airtourer, the four-seat Aircruiser had a fixed cabin roof with a single "car type" door on the left hand side.
Although Victa completed certification testing, no production of the Aircruiser followed, as Victa closed down its Aviation Division after failing to get financial assistance from the Australian government.{{harvnb|Taylor|1967|p=8}} Both Victa and Transavia Corporation had requested subsidies for Australian-designed and -built light aircraft, with Victa seeking a subsidy of up to 60% of the factory cost.{{cite magazine |title=Sport and Business: Bounty Refused |magazine=Flight International |date=2 March 1967 |page=318 |volume =91 |issue=3025 |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1967/1967%20-%200320.html |access-date=21 November 2019}}
Following the sale of the design rights of the Airtourer to Aero Engine Services Limited (AESL) of New Zealand, the rights to the Aircruiser were also sold to AESL in 1969. AESL's Chief Designer Pat Monk re-designed the aircraft as the AESL CT/4 Airtrainer, a fully aerobatic (+6G, -3G) military trainer.
In 2013 Brumby Aircraft Australia announced the company had purchased the type certificate for the Victa Aircruiser to be developed into the Brumby Aircruiser.{{cite web | title=Brumby Aircraft to Build Aircruisers | website=Australian Flying | date=10 September 1966 | url=https://www.australianflying.com.au/news/brumby-aircraft-to-build-aircruisers | access-date=29 April 2024}}
Specifications
The specifications of the Aircruiser 2010 (with performance estimated) are as follows:{{Harvnb|Taylor|1966|p=10}}
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Janes All the World's Aircraft 1966–67
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=1
|capacity=3
|length m=
|length ft=23
|length in=3
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=26
|span in=0
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=8
|height in=6
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=129
|wing area note=
|volume note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=1350
|empty weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=2400
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity={{convert|42|impgal|USgal L|abbr=on}} usable fuel
|lift note=
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Rolls-Royce/Continental IO-360-D
|eng1 type=piston engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=210
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=Hartzell constant-speed propeller
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|max speed mach=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=170
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=at {{convert|6500|ft|m|abbr=on}} (max. cruise)
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=56
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=(flaps down)
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=243
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=(max diving speed)
|range km=
|range miles=1000
|range nmi=
|range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=16000
|ceiling note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|glide ratio=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=1200
|climb rate note=
|more performance=*Takeoff run to 50 ft (15 m): {{convert|1200|ft|m|-1|abbr=on}}
- Landing run from 50 ft (15 m): {{convert|1270|ft|m|abbr=on}}
}}
See also
{{Portal|Australia|Aviation}}
{{aircontent
|see also=
|related=
|similar aircraft=
|sequence=
|lists=
}}
References
=Notes=
=Bibliography=
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book |last=Simpson |first= R.W.|title= Airlife's General Aviation|year=1991 |publisher= Airlife Publishing|location= England |isbn=1-85310-194-X}}
- {{cite book |last=Taylor |first=John W. R. |author-link=John W. R. Taylor |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1966–67 |year=1966 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd. }}
- {{cite book |last=Taylor |first=John W. R. |author-link=John W. R. Taylor |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1967–68 |year=1967 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd. }}
{{refend}}
{{Victa aircraft}}
Category:1960s Australian civil utility aircraft
Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft