Culp Special

The Culp Special is an American aerobatic homebuilt aircraft designed and produced by Culp's Specialties of Shreveport, Louisiana. The aircraft is supplied as a kit or in the form of plans for amateur construction.[1]

Special
Role Homebuilt aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Culp's Specialties
Status In production (2013)
Number built at least six
Unit cost
US$47,500 (kit, 1998)

Design and development

The Culp Special is intended to resemble an aircraft of the 1930s. It features a wire and strut-braced biplane layout, a two-seats-in-tandem open cockpit with dual windshields, fixed conventional landing gear with wheel pants, and a single engine in tractor configuration.[1]

The aircraft is made from welded steel tubing and wood, all covered in doped aircraft fabric. Its 24.00 ft (7.3 m) span wing has a wing area of 161 sq ft (15.0 m2). The standard engine used is the Russian 360 hp (268 kW) Vedeneyev M14P nine cylinder, air-cooled, four stroke radial engine.[1][2]

The Culp Special has a typical empty weight of 1,480 lb (670 kg) and a gross weight of 2,100 lb (950 kg), giving a useful load of 620 lb (280 kg). With full fuel of 70 U.S. gallons (260 L; 58 imp gal) the payload for pilot, passengers, and baggage is 200 lb (91 kg).[1]

The manufacturer estimates the construction time from the supplied kit as 2500 hours.[1]

Operational history

By 1998 the company reported that one aircraft was flying.[1]

In December 2016, three examples were registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration and one in Canada with Transport Canada.[3][4]

Specifications (Culp Special)
Culp Special

Data from AeroCrafter and Culp's Specialties[1][2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Capacity: one passenger
  • Length: 21 ft 0 in (6.40 m)
  • Wingspan: 24 ft 0 in (7.32 m)
  • Wing area: 161 sq ft (15.0 m2)
  • Empty weight: 1,480 lb (671 kg)
  • Gross weight: 2,100 lb (953 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 70 U.S. gallons (260 L; 58 imp gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Vedeneyev M14P nine cylinder, air-cooled, four stroke radial engine, 360 hp (270 kW)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed constant speed propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 220 mph (350 km/h, 190 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 150 mph (240 km/h, 130 kn)
  • Stall speed: 70 mph (110 km/h, 61 kn)
  • Range: 600 mi (970 km, 520 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 12,000 ft (3,700 m)
  • Rate of climb: 3,500 ft/min (18 m/s)
  • Wing loading: 13.0 lb/sq ft (63 kg/m2)

See also

References
  1. Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition, page 144. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998. ISBN 0-9636409-4-1
  2. Culp's Specialties (n.d.). "Aircraft Specifications". Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  3. Federal Aviation Administration (3 December 2016). "Make / Model Inquiry Results - Culp Special". Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  4. Transport Canada (3 December 2016). "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register". Retrieved 3 December 2016.
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