Central Centaur IV

infobox Aircraft
name = Centaur IV
type = three-seat biplane trainer
manufacturer = Central Aircraft Company Limited


caption =
designer = A A Fletcher
first flight = 1919
introduced =
retired =
status =
primary user = Central Aircraft Flying School
more users =
produced =
number built = 8
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles =

The Central Centaur IV was a British civil three-seat biplane aircraft produced by Central Aircraft Company Limited of London.

History

The Centaur IV was a two-seat wire-braced, fabric-covered wooden biplane designed by A.A. Fletcher. It was the first original design to be built by Central Aircraft Company at Kilburn, London during 1919. The prototype had a Renault inline engine but the seven production aircraft were fitted with an Anzani radial engine.

The Centaur IV was originally proposed in two versions:
*A two-seat aircraft, with the two seats side-by-side in an open cockpit;
*A three-seat aircraft, with two seats side-by-side and the open cockpit extended to allow installation of a third (single) seat.

No market existed for private ownership at that time, so the eight aircraft were all built as three-seaters. All the aircraft were initially used by Central Aircraft for joyriding or instruction at Northolt Aerodrome. The fifth aircraft was fitted with a three-float undercarriage. It was used for a week giving joyrides at Southend-on-Sea. It was converted into a landplane later in 1920 and crashed in October 1920.

As the postwar slump continued, some of the aircraft were sold in Belgium and were still operating in 1938. The last survivor was destroyed in the German invasion of Belgium in May 1940.

Variants

* Centaur IV - dual-control version
* Centaur IVA - single-pilot version
* Centaur IVB - float landing gear

Operators

;BEL;UK
*Central Aircraft Flying School

pecifications (Centaur IVA)

aircraft specification

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=
length main= 24 ft 9 in
length alt= 7.54 m
span main= 24 ft 2½ in
span alt= 10.43 m
height main=
height alt=
area main=
area alt=
empty weight main= 900 lb
empty weight alt= 408 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main= 1,400 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 635 kg
engine (prop)=Anzani
type of prop= nine-cylinder radial piston
number of props=1
power main= 100 hp
power alt= 75 kw
max speed main= 75 mph
max speed alt= 121 km/h
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
armament=

References

*cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|year= |publisher= Orbis Publishing|location= |issn=
*cite book |last= Jackson|first= A.J.|authorlink= |coauthors= |title= British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1|year= 1974|publisher= Putnam|location= London|isbn=0 370 10006 9

External links

* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=830 British Aircraft Directory]

ee also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=

sequence=Centaur IV • Centaur IIA
lists=

see also=