Gulfstream American GA-7 Cougar

Infobox Aircraft
name=GA-7 Cougar


caption=
type= Personal and trainer aircraft
manufacturer=Gulfstream American Aviation
designer=
first flight= 1977
introduced=1978
retired=
status=
primary user=
more users=
produced=1978-1979
number built=115
unit cost=
developed from=AA-5 series
variants with their own articles=

The US Gulfstream American GA-7 Cougar is an all-metal, 4-seat, light twin-engined aircraft.

The Cougar was a twin-engine development of the Gulfstream American AA-5B Tiger and traces its lineage to the AA-1 Yankee Clipper and the Bede BD-1.

Development

Following Gulfstream Aerospace’s purchase of Grumman’s American light aircraft division in 1977 the company embarked on a policy of aircraft model development. During this time the other aircraft in the line, including the AA-1B Trainer and the AA-5B Tiger underwent extensive redesign.

The aircraft line Gulfstream then fielded included the redesigned AA-1C Lynx two seater, the Gulfstream American AA-5A Cheetah and the Gulfstream American AA-5B Tiger single engine aircraft. The line had good market acceptance and depth. The next obvious step was to develop a twin-engined aircraft to complete the line.

Gulfstream American’s engineering team designed the new twin based on the same honeycomb and bonded metal construction that had been the hallmarks of the line since the BD-1. The result was designated the GA-7 (for Gulfstream American) and was given the name Cougar in keeping with the existing Lynx, Cheetah and Tiger aircraft in the company's line.

The Cougar was intended for the flying school twin-engined trainer market and also as a personal use aircraft. The Cougar was powered by a pair of wing-mounted Lycoming O-320-D1D engines of 160 hp. It would carry four people at 160 knots cruise speed and was certified under US FAR Part 23.

Production of the Cougar ran for just two model years, 1978 and 1979 before production was halted. Just 115 Cougars were delivered.

Today the Cougars that are still flying are prized for their combination of speed, range, simplicity of construction and ease of operation as well as their aesthetic appeal.

The type certificate for the GA-7 was sold to EADS Socata of France. cite web|url = http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeModel.nsf/0/B2CEC2BAFD278D88862572A00056C584?OpenDocument&Highlight=ga-7|title = TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET NO. A17SO|accessdate = 2008-07-02|last = Federal Aviation Administration|authorlink = |year = 2007|month = March]

Aircraft Type Club

The GA-7 Cougar, along with the other American Aviation, Grumman American and Gulfstream American single engined aircraft are supported by an active aircraft type club, The American Yankee Association.

pecifications (Gulfstream American GA-7 Cougar)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=1 pilot
capacity=3 passengers
length main=29 ft 7 in
length alt=9.0 m
span main=36 ft 9 in
span alt=11.2 m
height main=10 ft 4 in
height alt=3.1 m
area main=184 ft²
area alt=17 m²
empty weight main=2,569 lb
empty weight alt=1,163 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main= 3,800 lb
max takeoff weight alt=1,721 kg
engine (prop)=Lycoming O-320-D1D
type of prop=flat four engines
number of props=2
power main=160 hp
power alt=119 kW
max speed main=160 knots
max speed alt=184 mph, 296 km/h
range main=972 miles
range alt=1,555 km
ceiling main=17,400 ft
ceiling alt=5,307 m
climb rate main=1,160 ft/min
climb rate alt=354 m/min
loading main=20.65 lb/ft²
loading alt=101 kg/m²
power/mass main=0.08 hp/lb
power/mass alt=0.14 kW/kg

References

External links

* [http://www.aya.org The American Yankee Association] .

ee also

aircontent
related=
* Bede BD-1
* Grumman American AA-1
* Grumman American AA-5
similar aircraft=
* Beechcraft Duchess
* Piper Seminole
sequence=
AA-1 -
AA-2 –
AA-5 - GA-7