Wassmer WA-40
| Wassmer WA-40 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | four / five-seat light aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
June 8, 1959 |
| Production time: |
1961 to 1977 |
Wassmer WA-40 is a series of small aircraft produced by the French manufacturer Wassmer Aviation in Issoire . These are four to five - seater low -wing aircraft of identical basic construction with different engines and equipment.
history
After Wassmer had initially built Jodel D11 2 aircraft under license from 1955 , the company began developing its own design in the 1950s. The WA-40 Super IV had its maiden flight in 1959. It was built in three variants, the basic Directeur model, the luxury Commandant du Bord and the IFR- compatible President. From 1965 Wassmer offered the WA-41 Baladou model. The WA 4/21 Prestige finally completed the series. The company produced models of the series until 1977.
construction
The WA-40 series is a four- or five-seat, single - engine low - wing aircraft with a piston engine and retractable nose wheel landing gear . The hull is a tubular steel construction. The wings , the tail unit and the control surfaces consist of a wooden construction with plywood planking and a fabric covering. The canopy, which can be moved backwards, serves as an entry point. The WA-41 Baladou was built with a rigid landing gear.
Technical specifications
| WA-40 Super IV | WA-41 Baladou | WA-4/21 Prestige | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | Avco Lycoming O-360- A1A | Avco Lycoming IO-540 | |
| power | 134 kW (182 PS) | 175 kW (238 hp) | |
| span | 10 m | 10.05 m | |
| length | 8.09 m | 7.8 m | |
| Wing area | 16 m² | ||
| height | 2.86 m | 2.96 m | |
| Empty mass | 700 kg | 680 kg | 820 kg |
| maximum take-off mass | 1200 kg | 1410 kg | |
| Maximum permissible load | 4.4 g / −2.2 g | 3.8 g / −1.9 g | |
| Cruising speed | 139 kn (257 km / h) | 149 kn (276 km / h) | |
| Maximum speed allowed | 167 kn (309 km / h) | 178 kn (330 km / h) | |
| Pull-in speed with flaps extended | 51 kn (94 km / h) | 59 kn (109 km / h) | |
| Stall speed with flaps retracted | 59 kn (109 km / h) | 70 kn (130 km / h) | |
| Tank capacity | 220 liters | ||
| Range (at 75% power) | 750 NM | 675 NM | |
Accidents
On July 22, 2011, a pilot flew his Wassmer WA-40 from Perigueux in France to Peterborough in Great Britain . Over the English Channel he got into IMC conditions and tried to return to VMC conditions with the help of the Flight Information Service . Witnesses observed the crash of the machine near Lichfield and said they heard noises like aerobatic maneuvers . Furthermore, parts of the aircraft have sailed like leaves from the sky. The machine was completely destroyed in the impact and the pilot was killed. The AAIB's investigation revealed that the pilot lost control of the aircraft, presumably due to the IMC conditions for which he was not trained. When trying to bring the machine back under control, the already damaged structure of the machine was overloaded and the aircraft broke apart.
Web links
literature
- Encyclopedia of Airplanes . Weltbild Verlag, Augsburg 1995, ISBN 3-89350-055-3 , p. 432 .
- D. Mondey: Encyclopedia of the World's Commercial and Private Aircraft . Hamlyn publishing group, 1981, ISBN 3-89350-055-3 , pp. 254 (English).
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b AAIB Bulletin No: 4/2003. Air Accidents Investigation Branch , 2003, accessed April 17, 2018 .
- ↑ Flight manual Super IV . Wassmer Aviation, Issoire 1966.
- ↑ Flight manual WA-41 Baladou . Wassmer Aviation, Issoire 1966.
- ↑ Flight manual Super 4/21 . Wassmer Aviation, Issoire 1967.
