Davis DA-2

The Davis DA-2 is a light aircraft designed in the United States in the 1960s and was marketed for homebuilding.[2] While it is a low-wing monoplane of largely conventional design with fixed tricycle undercarriage, the DA-2 is given a distinctive appearance by its slab-like fuselage construction and its V-tail.[3] The pilot and a single passenger sit side-by-side. Construction of the aircraft is sheet aluminum throughout, with the sole compound curves formed a fiberglass cowling and fairings.[4]

DA-2
Role Civil utility aircraft
Manufacturer Homebuilt
Designer Leeon D. Davis
First flight 21 May 1966
Primary user Private pilot owners
Number built ca. 45 by 1985
Unit cost
$2300 in 1971[1]
Davis DA-2 at Airventure 2008.
Davis DA-2A

The prototype made its first flight on May 21, 1966, and was exhibited at that year's Experimental Aircraft Association annual fly-in, where it won awards for "most outstanding design" and "most popular aircraft".[5]

A major design consideration was ease of assembly for a first time home aircraft builder. Examples of this include: few curved components, a V-tail is one less control surface to build, and each wing is made from two sheets of aluminum with no trimming involved.[6]

The DA-3 was a single DA-2 enlarged to accommodate four people. Work proceeded through 1973-74, but the aircraft was never completed.

Plans have been intermittently available over the years. They are as of August 2019, available from D2 Aircraft.

Operational history

Examples of the DA-2 have been completed in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom and are currently (2015) actively flying in those countries.

Variants
  • 1979 Davis DA-2B
    DA-2 -- Continental A-65 powered
  • DA-2A -- Continental O-200A powered
  • DA-2B -- 3 inch lower roof line[6]
  • DA-3

Specifications (typical DA-2)

Data from Popular Mechanics August 1973

General characteristics

  • Crew: One pilot
  • Capacity: 1 passenger
  • Length: 17 ft 10 in (5.44 m)
  • Wingspan: 19 ft 3 in (5.86 m)
  • Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
  • Wing area: 83 sq ft (7.7 m2)
  • Empty weight: 610 lb (277 kg)
  • Gross weight: 1,125 lb (510 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Continental A65 horizontally-opposed four-cylinder piston engine , 65 hp (49 kW)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Continental O200 horizontally-opposed four-cylinder piston engine , 100 hp (75 kW)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 120 mph (193 km/h, 100 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 110 mph (177 km/h, 96 kn)
  • Range: 450 mi (725 km, 390 nmi)

References
Notes
  1. Air Trails: 18. Winter 1971. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. Barnett Flight International 22 August 1977, pp. 534–535
  3. Weeghman, Richard B. (October 1966). "Rockford '66". Flying. Vol. 79 no. 4. pp. 52–53.
  4. Air Progress Sport Aircraft: 41. Winter 1969. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. Taylor 1967, p. 247
  6. Davisson, Budd (December 2017). "cubic Efficiency". Sport Aviation.
Sources
  • Barnett, Cliff (22 August 1977). "Oshkosh Sport Aircraft Galore". Flight International. Vol. 112 no. 3571. pp. 532–541.
  • Taylor, John W. R. (1967). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1967–68. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 305.
  • Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1985-86. London: Jane's Yearbooks. pp. 587–88.
  • Davisson, Budd (May 1973). "Flying the Davis DA-2A Homebuilt". Air Progress.

http://www.yahoogroups.com/da2a Builder Group

http://www.davisda2.com Current source for plans also a users forum.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.