ICAR Universal

infobox Aircraft
name =ICAR Universal
type =Trainer aircraft
manufacturer =ICAR


caption =
designer =
first flight = 1934
introduced =
retired =
status =
primary user =Romania
more users =
produced =1934-1936
number built =14
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =

The ICAR Universal (I.C.A.R. Universal) was the Romanian trainer, touring and aerobatics aircraft of the 1930s, two-seater low-wing with open cockpits.

Development and usage

The Universal was designed in 1934 in a factory ICAR ("Īntreprinderea de construcţii aeronautice româneşti") in Bucharest, created in 1932, led by engineer Mihail Racovita. It was modeled after the German Messerschmitt M.23b, license-produced by the ICAR. There were three variants of the aircraft. The first was a long-distance single-seater sports plane, powered with 150 HP Siemens-Halske Sh 14 radial engine under NACA cowling, giving it a maximum speed of 180 km/h. One such aircraft was built for Princess Marina Stirbey (registration YR-MAI). In a place of a forward cockpit, there was an additional fuel tank, giving it an endurance of 6 hours. In the late 1930s it was converted to two-seater touring plane [http://aviatia.cda.ro/15years.htm "Aviatia" magazine website] ] .

Further three aircraft were built in a single-seater aerobatics variant ICAR Universal Acrobatic (markings: YR-ACA - ACC). They had span enlarged to 12.9 m, and were powered with Sh.14a radial engine under NACA cowling.

Following a success of sinle-seaters, a small series of 10 two-seater trainers were built, also known as ICAR Universal Biloc (="two-seater"). It was powered with 130 HP de Havilland Gipsy Major inline engine, manufactured under licence at Braşov as the IAR 4GI. They were produced in 1935-1936.

Operational service

The long-range Universal YR-MAI was used by Marina Stirbey for a solo flight on the Bucharest-Reval-Helsinki-Copenhagen-Berlin-Bucharest route, during August-September 1936. Later it was converted to two-seater.

Three Universal Acrobatics, painted red, were used from 1934 in a famous Romanian prewar aerobatics team "Dracii rosii" (Red Devils, pilos were Petre Ivanovici, Mihail Pantazi and Maximilian Manolescu-Max). They performed at numerous air shows in 1934-1937. It remained the most successful aerobatics aircraft built in Romania for a long time.

Main production variant of Universal Biloc was used for training. They received military serial numbers 1 to 10, painted in white, but later some were given civilian registrations. Between April, 14 and May, 25, 1935, military pilots Alexandru Cernescu, Mihail Pantazi, George Davidescu, Gheorghe Olteanu, Gheorghe Jienescu and Anton Stengher flew three modified Universal Bilocs (registrations YR-ACL, -AEL, -AEY) in a raid from Bucharest to Cape Town and back (23,000 km) in 149 hours 10 minutes of flight time. Endurance of these modified aircraft was increased from 3 to 8.5 h.

Description

Low-wing cantilever monoplane, with a fixed landing gear. The wings were trapezoid with rounded tips, single-spar, plywood covered (ailerons were fabric covered). A fuselage was semi monocoque, made of a wooden frame, plywood covered. Front part was covered with metal sheet. The plane had one or two open cockpits in a tandem, each wing an individual windscreen. Universal Biloc had glass sides of cockpits, to improve view towards below. Engine in front: 130 hp IAR 4GI (de Havilland Gipsy Major) inline engine (Universal Biloc) or 150 hp Siemens-Halske Sh 14 radial engine, with NACA cowling. Two-blade propeller. There was a rear skid under a tail. In aerobatics variant, the main gear had teardrop cowlings.

pecifications

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=1
capacity=1, student/passenger
length main= 6.9 m
length alt=22 ft 8 in
span main=11.9 m
span alt=39 ft
height main=1.95 m
height alt= 6 ft 4¾ in
area main=14.3 m²
area alt= 154 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 465 kg
empty weight alt= 1,023 lb
loaded weight main= 710 kg
loaded weight alt=1,562 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
engine (prop)=de Havilland Gipsy Major
type of prop= air-cooled 4-cylinder straight engine
number of props=1
power main=130 hp
power alt=97 kW
max speed main=195 km/h
max speed alt= 105 knots, 121 mph
cruise speed main= 160 km/h
cruise speed alt= 86 knots, 99 mph
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main=5,500 m
ceiling alt=18,040 ft
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
armament=

See also

aircontent
related=
*Messerschmitt M.23
similar aircraft=
*Miles Hawk Major - Klemm Kl 25 - Yakovlev UT-2
lists=
see also=

References

*Ion Gudju, Gheorghe Iacobescu, Ovidiu Ionescu: "Romanian aeronautical constructions 1905-1974"
* [http://aviatia.cda.ro/15years.htm "Aviatia" magazine website]

External links

* [http://www.airwar.ru/enc/law1/icaruniversal.html Photos and drawings at Ugolok Neba site]
* [http://www.airclub.rdsnet.ro/modules.php?file=article&name=News&sid=14 Airclub of Romania]