Gippsland GA200

Last updated

GA200 Fatman
RoleLight Agricultural
National originAustralia
Manufacturer GippsAero
First flight1990
IntroductionMarch 1991

The Gippsland GA-200 Fatman is a low-wing single-engine agricultural aircraft built by GippsAero.

Contents

Development

Based loosely on the Piper Pawnee, the first two prototypes used damaged Pawnee frames. The third prototype, built in 1992, was the first all-original airframe. The GA-200 was fully certificated on 1 March 1991. [1]

Certificate of Type Approval No. 83-6 for the GA200 was issued by the Australian Civil Aviation Authority on that date; the first to be issued for a totally new aircraft design in Australia since the GAF Nomad, 20 years earlier. The certification basis was the Australian certification standards, Civil Aviation Orders, Sections 101.16 and 101.22. These standards in turn incorporated the airworthiness standards of Part 23 of the US Federal Aviation Regulations.

To date,[ when? ] 50 GA200 aircraft have been manufactured at GippsAero's base at the Latrobe Valley Airport, 28 of which have been exported to countries throughout the world including New Zealand, China, the United States, Canada, South Africa and Brazil.

In the late 1990s, GA200 production was scaled down to make way for the GA8 Airvan.

Design

Wings

The "strut braced" design concept was chosen to allow the minimum possible weight for the wing, saving approximately 45 kg (100 lb) over a cantilever spar design. This allows a correspondingly greater maximum payload for a given empty weight. The configuration also provides a very “crashworthy” structure to provide a good “fly-on” capability following an obstacle strike. The design has been optimised for maximum strength-to-weight ratio by using “state of the art” finite element computer analysis methods. An initial conservative retirement life of 15,000 hours for critical structural components has been granted by the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority. This life can be extended as results of on-going tests becomes available.

The all-metal wing panels are significantly different from those of the Piper Pawnee. The GA200 wings have full-depth laminated fail-safe spars. The outboard section is joined to the inner section at the strut intersection by load distribution doublers. This allows the relatively easy replacement of the outer wing panels. All components are corrosion proofed in special workshops prior to assembly in GippsAeros main hangars one, two and three.

The Leading Edges consist of easily replaceable segments to minimise down-time due to bird strike and other minor leading edge impacts. These segments are not handed - one spare can be fitted at any position on either wing. This is unique to the GA200.

The semi-span wing flaps are of slotted design and are effective in all flight regimes. The 15 degrees ‘Take-Off’ position assists with early rising of the tail and main wheel lift off, thus reducing take-off ground roll significantly. At a hopper payload of 1050 kg the ground roll has been measured at approximately 420 metres (1380 ft) with zero wind and 15 degrees Celsius at sea level.

Full flap (38 degrees) allows a landing approach speed of approximately 50-55 knots at light weight. This allows comfortable short field landings with a typical ground roll of 200 metres (650 ft). The wing flaps can also be used in flight in agricultural operations and significantly reduce turn radius when the aircraft is fully loaded.

Another important design feature of the flap system is that there is no noticeable change in pitch trim with the extension of the flaps. This has been achieved by the incorporation of a simple interconnect system which applies bias to the elevator trim springs when the flap are extended.

Ailerons: The ailerons are gap sealed and provide light and responsive behaviour to minimise pilot fatigue. The ailerons allow a high roll rate of approximately 3 seconds from 45 degree bank through to 45 degree bank the other way at normal working airspeeds. This is unique to the GA200.

Wing Tips: These are removable assemblies to allow easy replacement in the event of damage. Their shape has evolved over a number of years of “in the field”wingtip vortices.

Fuselage

The fuselage structure is a welded SAE 4130 chromium molybdenum steel tube assembly. The design has been optimised for maximum strength-to-weight ratio by using finite element computer analysis methods. The forward fuselage has been designed to progressively crumple in the event of a sudden forward deceleration.

Metal side panels attached by half turn ‘Dzus’ fasteners are fitted to both sides of the fuselage from the engine bay back past the rear cockpit. These allow ready access for ease of inspection, maintenance and cleaning. Additionally the rear fuselage upper turtledeck is easily removed for rear fuselage inspection, maintenance and cleaning.

The configuration of the pilot behind and above the load has been used. A second seat for transporting the loader driver or to allow aerial viewing by the farmer has been a long requested design feature. This seat is fitted to the right of the pilot seat. The side by side seating arrangement was chosen to minimise shift of the centre of gravity with cockpit load as well as to fully utilise the wide fuselage structure that was necessitated by the fitting of the larger 1070 litre (270 US gall) capacity hopper.

Variants

GA-200 Ag-trainer
With dual controls. Three built.
GA-200B
200 with extended wingtips
GA-200C
up-rated engine, constant speed propeller.

Specifications (GA-200)

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2000–2001 [2]

General characteristics

Performance

91 km/h (57 mph; 49 kn) flaps down
84 km/h (52 mph; 45 kn) at typical landing weight flaps up
76 km/h (47 mph; 41 kn) at typical landing weight flaps down

See also

Related development

Related Research Articles

Aero Boero AB-115

The Aero Boero AB-115 is an Argentine civil utility aircraft. It was developed from the AB-95-115, a refined AB-95 with a more powerful engine and improved aerodynamics. Specific differences included wheel spats, a redesigned engine cowling molded of fiberglass, and aluminum ailerons and flaps.

GippsAero GA8 Airvan Single engine high-wing utility aircraft

The Mahindra Airvan 8 is a single-engined utility aircraft manufactured by GippsAero of Victoria, Australia. It can seat up to eight people, including the pilot.

Rolladen-Schneider LS4

The Rolladen-Schneider LS4 is a Standard Class single seat glider manufactured by Rolladen-Schneider Flugzeugbau GmbH between 1980 and 2003.

Schempp-Hirth Janus

The Schempp-Hirth Janus is a high performance two-seat glider that was built by Schempp-Hirth GmbH. It was the first high-performance two-seater.

Aero-Service Puma

The Aero-Service Puma is a Polish ultralight aircraft, designed and produced by Aero-Service Jacek Skopiński of Warsaw. The aircraft is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.

DynAéro CR.100

The Dyn'Aéro CR.100 is a French kit built single engine, two-seat monoplane, developed in the 1990s and intended as both an aerobatic trainer and a tourer, primarily for aero club use.

Glaser-Dirks DG-600

The Glaser-Dirks DG-600 is a glider manufactured by Glaser-Dirks as a successor to the DG-202 and DG-400 series of gliders where carbon fiber reinforced plastics was used.

GippsAero GA10 Utility aircraft

The GippsAero GA10 Airvan, marketed as the Airvan 10, is a 10-seat, turbo prop, single-engined utility aircraft currently being developed by GippsAero of Victoria, Australia.

The Akaflieg Darmstadt D-40 is an experimental variable geometry single seat sailplane, fitted with almost full span, camber changing flaps for optimum aerodynamics in weak thermals and integrated into the wing so as to minimise flap tip drag. One flew successfully but the D-40, like other variable geometry sailplanes, was not commercialised.

Timm T-840

The Timm T-840 was a twin engine, high wing passenger aircraft designed and flown in the United States in 1938. Equipped with a tricycle undercarriage and low speed aerodynamic devices, it could be configured to carry between six and ten passengers. Only one was built.

Ikarus Košava

The Ikarus Košava is a two-seat sailplane designed and built in Yugoslavia in the early 1950s. It won the 1954 World Gliding Championships in the two seat category and came second in the same event two years later.

The Texas A&M College Ag-1 was a prototype single seat, single engine aircraft, one of the first specifically designed for agricultural spraying, dusting and fertilizer spreading. It was the first of a series of designs that led to the Piper PA-25 Pawnee.

The Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-8 is an experimental, single-seat, high performance glider built in Germany in the 1960s, constructed largely from glass fibre skin over built up balsa wood structure. Two were built; the second of which was later fitted with a high aspect ratio (30:1) wing, becoming the Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-9 Stratus.

SZD-42 Jantar 2

The SZD-42 Jantar 2 is a single seat Open Class competition glider, designed and produced in Poland in the 1970s. It features a span of over 20 m (66 ft) and elastic, camber changing flaps. It was placed second, third and seventh at the 1976 World Gliding Championships. Over one hundred were built and more than ninety remain registered.

Bruni 3V-1 Eolo

The Bruni 3V-1 Eolo was a single seat Italian competition glider, first flown in 1955. It took part World Gliding Championships of 1956 but retired early after sustaining damage.

The Rihn DR-109 is an American aerobatic homebuilt aircraft that was designed by Dan Rihn. The aircraft was supplied by Jim Kimball Enterprises of Zellwood, Florida and more recently by Ashcraft Aero Works of Aurora, Illinois in the form of plans. It was designed for competition aerobatics as well as a trainer for the Rihn DR-107 One Design.

The Explorer Ellipse is an American homebuilt aircraft that was designed by Dean Wilson and produced by Explorer Aviation of Grangeville, Idaho. When it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.

The Storm 320E, sometimes written Storm 320 E, is an Italian microlight aircraft that was designed and produced by Storm Aircraft of Sabaudia. Storm Aircraft was originally called SG Aviation srl. When it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.

The Chasle LMC-1 Sprintair is an all-metal, single-seat sports light aircraft designed in France in the early 1970s and intended to be built by aero clubs from plans.

The V-STOL Pairadigm is an American twin-engine center-line thrust STOL homebuilt aircraft that was designed and produced by V-STOL Aircraft Corporation of Fort Myers, Florida, introduced in the late 1990s. When it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.

References

  1. Jackson 2003, pp. 5–6.
  2. Jackson, Paul, ed. (2000). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 2000–01 (91st ed.). Coulsdon, Surrey, United Kingdom: Jane's Information Group. pp. 5–6. ISBN   978-0710620118.