Howard 500
| Howard 500 | |
|---|---|
 Howard 500 N500LN Coventry Airport , UK, August 2000 |
|
| Type: | Multipurpose aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: |
Howard Aero Inc , San Antonio, Texas |
| First flight: |
September 1959 |
| Commissioning: |
20th February 1963 |
| Production time: |
1959-1964 |
| Number of pieces: |
more than 22 |
The Howard 500 was a multi-role aircraft produced by Howard Aero Inc. in the early 1960s.
history
In the 1950s and 1960s Howard Aero Inc. produced business jets from military remnants of the Lockheed Lodestar and Lockheed Ventura types .
Data
The Howard 500 looked similar to these aircraft, but was a fundamentally new design and all 500s had a completely new fuselage. Only the outer wing plates and the landing gear were taken over (from excess Venturas). Howard bought Lockheed wing and fuselage assemblies to use as models for the new aircraft. The fuselage differed from the Venturas from the start, as it had a pressurized cabin , and the wings were designed as integral tanks. The air conditioning system produced a differential pressure of 46.5 kilopascals (6.75 psi). This was more than any other propeller or turboprop aircraft at the time. It was able to keep the cabin pressure at sea level up to 4,900 m (16,000 feet).
A new, more powerful and lighter version of the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 , which was developed for the Douglas DC-6 , was chosen as the engine . The propeller hubs were taken from the Chance Vought F4U , the four- bladed propellers and spinners from the DC-7 .
The Howard 500 had 10 to 14 passenger seats, each with a large window. The enlarged integral tank enabled a maximum range with full reserves of 4,200 km. The maximum cruising speed was 350 miles per hour (300 kn; 560 km / h) at 6,400 m (21,000 feet). Unfortunately, this very good performance for an executive aircraft with a piston engine came too late as various competing turboprop designs were now coming onto the market. This limited sales. The prototype flew in September 1959, certification was granted on February 20, 1963.
Initially, 22 Howard 500s were produced, another eight were converted from the Ventura PV-2 to practically the same standard.
operator
The aircraft were operated by various US companies (Republic Steel, Green Construction of Indiana, Pacific Petroleum of Canada, Northern Natural Gas Company and US Metal Refining Company).
Preserved copies
The last two copies (registration N500HP and N500LN) are owned by TP Aero in Eagan , Minnesota and are kept airworthy.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Howard 500 data |
|---|---|
| crew | 2 |
| Passengers | 10-14 |
| length | 17.82 m |
| span | 21.44 m |
| height | 4.11 m |
| Wing area | 55.02 m² |
| Max. Takeoff weight | 15,875 kg |
| Top speed | 660 km / h |
| V NE | 724 km / h |
| Economic cruising speed | 563 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 10,670 m |
| Range (max fuel, 9 passengers) | 4185 km |
| Engines | 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800 -CB-17, each 2500 PS (1,870 kW) |
literature
- Peter Marson: Lockheed Twins . Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 2001, ISBN 0-85130-284-X .
- John WR Taylor : Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1965-66 . Sampson Low, Marston, London 1965.
- Michael JH Taylor: Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation . Studio Editions, London 1989, p. 511.
Web links
- N500HP web site
- Howard 500 on Lockheed Twins site
- Engine start-up video
- Take-off at Sedona Airport video
- Fly-by video
- tpaero website, more pictures of these aircraft
- Rare Vintage Bizliner Hits The Market
Individual evidence
- ^ John WR Taylor, 1965, p. 241 f.