Culver Model V

The Culver Model V was a two-seat cabin monoplane designed and built by the Culver Aircraft Company.

Model V
Role Two-seat cabin monoplane
National origin United States
Manufacturer Culver Aircraft Company
First flight 1946
Number built 378 (V-1)

Design and development

Based on the pre-World War II Cadet and using the wartime experience with radio-controlled aircraft the company designed a two-seat cabin monoplane. The Model V had a low-set cantilever wing with the outer panels having a pronounced dihedral. It had a tricycle retractable landing gear and an enclosed cabin with side by side seating for two. It was unique in that it had a system called Simpli-Fly Control where the aircraft was automatically trimmed for takeoff, landing and cruise, by turning a small metal wheel between the two seats and lining up two arrows with the mode of flying the aircraft. Interconnecting controls then adjusted the trim according to the arrow settings.[1] Simpli-Fly was not popular with pilots. Only a limited production run of 350 Model Vs was achieved before the company went bankrupt.

In 1956 the Superior Aircraft Company bought the assets of Culver and put the Model V back into production as the Superior Satellite. The main difference was the use of a 95 hp Continental engine which increased the cruise speed to 130 mph (209 km/h). Only a prototype and five production aircraft were built.

Variants

V-1
Initial production variant, 378 built (erroneous number, actual was closer to 90).
V-2
Improved variant, 15 built (Juptner reported 1 V-2 was built).
Superior Satellite
1956 variant with a 95hp Continental engine, six built.
TD4C
USN radio-controlled target version of the V-2
UC
The utility version of the TD4C, also converted to target drone as the UC-1K.

Specifications (V-1)

Data from [2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one (pilot)
  • Capacity: one passenger
  • Length: 20 ft 8.5 in (6.31 m)
  • Wingspan: 29 ft 0 in (8.84 m)
  • Height: 6 ft 9.5 in (2.07 m)
  • Wing area: 125.9 sq ft (11.70 m2)
  • Empty weight: 1,070 lb (485 kg)
  • Gross weight: 1,600 lb (726 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Continental C85 4-cyl. air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine , 85 hp (63 kW)

Performance

  • Cruise speed: 125 mph (201 km/h, 109 kn)
  • Range: 338 mi (544 km, 294 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 13,200 ft (4,025 m)

gollark: What do you mean "make improvements in housing"? I can't say much about this without further context.
gollark: As I SAID, silicon fabrication is literally the most capital-intensive industry in existence.
gollark: I mean, more macroscale parts, but easier to make.
gollark: Nope!
gollark: > Because smaller groups are shafted by the government.No, the government can't really stop you from forming small organizations and getting equipment and stuff, the issue is that research now requires lots of specialized expensive stuff and lots of people with deep knowledge of subjects together.

References

Notes

  1. "Culver Model V", August 1946, Popular Science bottom page 30
  2. Orbis 1985, page 1215

Bibliography

  • Andrade, John (1979). U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Midland Counties Publications. ISBN 0-904597-22-9.
  • Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.
  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). Orbis Publishing.
  • Simpson, R.W. (1991). Airlife's General Aviation. England: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-194-X.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.