Skycraft Scout

Infobox Aircraft
name=Skycraft Scout


caption=John Denis Duigan flying his 'Skycraft Scout' on Flinders Island, Bass Staight, 1983.
type=Single seat ultralight aircraft
manufacturer=Skycraft Pty Ltd, 152 Bellevue Road, Carton, NSW.
designer=Ron Wheeler
first flight=1972
introduced=
retired=
status=
primary user=recreational flying
more users=
produced=1976 - 1978
number built=200 approx
unit cost=
developed from= [http://www.australianaviationmuseum.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=110 Tweetie] hang gliderThe Skycraft Scout is an Australian designed and built single-seat, tail dragger, microlight airplane, used primarily for recreational aviation.

Design and development

In July 1972 a Sydney boat builder named Ron Wheeler made the first flight of a minimum aircraft which he'd designed and built himself, and which he later put into series production soon thereafter. At the time Ron was building catamarans in Sydney's southern suburbs. Having already developed [http://www.australianaviationmuseum.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=110 'Tweetie'] , a successful hang glider, Wheeler simply modified the design of the glider to have the pilot seated instead of hanging below the wings, and of course to accommodate an engine.

Marketed as the Skycraft Scout, this was the world's first commercially produced ultra light – rigid wing rather than a Rogallo – and spawned a new Australian industry.

Ron had no experience in aircraft design and claims to have started the project on a whim in his spare time. Using sources referenced from the library at Sydney Technical College and Hurstville local Library he built up a working knowledge of aerodynamics.

The Scout was a factory-built minimum aircraft that utilised yacht fittings from his local marine shop. The early Scout was an extremely basic machine, which utilised Dacron sailcloth for the wing covering, lanyards and battens and an aluminium yacht mast as the wing spar. It was initially powered by a modified Victa lawnmower engine and, unlike a conventional aeroplane, had only rudder and elevator controls. Nevertheless, on a good day, it usually flew.

Significantly, the Scout was the first ultralight aircraft to be covered by airworthiness regulations in the world, in this case-Australia's Air Navigation Order(ANO) 95-10 issued by the Department of Transport. In 1975 Ron Wheeler approached The Department of Transport to issue an Air Navigation Order regulation for ultralight and minimum aircraft. Subsequently, the Department issued ANO 95.10 for unlicensed pilots to fly aircraft weighing less than 180 kilograms under a number of restrictive conditions, including altitude restrictions, and not to fly over sealed roads. This allowed the ultralight aircraft industry to take-off, and Wheeler went into full time production of the Scout as a leisure craft.

Gallery

_This_modified_and_derelict_Scout_was_spotted_at_Esk_in_Queensland_in_May_2008.Image:DarwinAM.jpg|Scout_displayed_at_the_[http://www.darwinsairwar.com.au/society.html/ Australian Aviation Heritage Centre.] in Darwin.

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Cec_Andersonhttp://www.australianaviationmuseum.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=50&Itemid=96/ Australian Aviation Museum.] , Bankstown.

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Prototype_Scout_Mk_1_displayed_at_the_[http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=35031/ Powerhouse Museum.] , Sydney.

pecifications

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew=one pilot
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
span main=7.4 m
height main=1.9 m
area main=
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main=49.4kg
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)=Pixie 153 c.c. 2-stroke, single cylinder
type of prop=
number of props=1
power main=12 hp
power alt=9 kW
power original=
max speed main=42 mph
max speed alt=78 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main=40 minutes
Glide ratio=7:1
Take off distance=30-40 m
range alt=
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 2
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

External links

* [http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=35031&
]
* [http://www.auf.asn.au/students/thumb3.html Vintage Ultralight and Lightplane Association]

urviving examples

* [http://www.darwinsairwar.com.au/collection.html Australian Aviation Heritage Centre, Darwin.]
* [http://www.australianaviationmuseum.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=50&Itemid=96 Australin Aviation Museum, Bankstown, NSW.]
* [http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=35031 Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.]
* [http://museumvictoria.com.au/Collections-Research/Our-Collections/Collections/Transport-Technologies Museum Victoria, Melbourne.]
* [http://www.auf.asn.au Recreational Aviation Australia Museum, Narrommine, NSW.]

Video links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8E2Y-jWk7U Skycraft Scout Mk III]