Great Lakes Sports Trainer
| Great Lakes Sports Trainer | |
|---|---|
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| Type: | double decker |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
1928 |
| Production time: |
1929–1933, 1973-? |
The Great Lakes Sport Trainer is a sport aircraft produced by the Great Lakes Aircraft Company . It is an open, two-seater biplane that is suitable for aerobatics . It was initially manufactured from 1929 to 1933 and reissued in the 1970s. The version 2T-1A-2 came onto the market in July 1974 in the USA and was manufactured until the end of 1978.
history
Pilots who flew the sports trainer in stunt shows in the USA in the 1930s declared this biplane to be one of the best aircraft that ever existed. At that time, around 100 Great Lakes, built between 1929 and 1931, were flying in the USA, mostly with 90 hp in- line engines . Well-known aerobatic pilots installed radial engines up to 185 HP even then . As a result of the global economic crisis, the Great Lakes Aircraft Company also had to stop production in 1933 . In 1966, the American Harvey S. Swack was looking for museums in old Great Lakes, on which occasion he bought the rights to this aircraft and developed plans and kits for self-builders. In 1972 he sold the rights to Doug Champlin, who soon afterwards set up a second industrial production facility and began producing new aircraft in 1974, initially 10 aircraft in the standard 1929 with a 140 hp boxer engine and fixed propeller.
This was later followed by a standard 1931 machine with a 180 hp Lycoming engine and constant speed propeller. This machine is approved in Germany under the label D-EBGL. From the year of construction 1977 the production was changed again, the biplane received a higher take-off weight, four ailerons and a higher g-approval. The ownership structure of the company has changed twice over the past few decades. At the end of the 80s, production was stopped due to extreme product liability. Around 150 double-deckers were built in the second production series, four of which are flying in Europe.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| span | 8.13 m |
| length | 6.20 m |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 816 kg |
| Top speed | 200 km / h |
| drive | Lycoming AEIO 360 B1G6 with 180 PS (132 kW) |