Beecraft Queen Bee

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Beecraft Queen Bee
Beecraft Queen Bee in flight.jpg
The Queen Bee in flight
Role Four-seat cabin monoplane
National origin United States
Manufacturer Bee Aviation Associates
Designer William S. Chana, Ken S. Coward
First flight 1960
Number built 1

The Beecraft Queen Bee was an American V-tailed four-seat cabin monoplane, designed and built by Bee Aviation Associates (Beecraft). [1]

United States federal republic in North America

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.

V-tail aircraft tail configuration consisting of two stabilizers mounted at an angle from the fuselage

In aircraft, a V-tail or Vee-tail is an unconventional arrangement of the tail control surfaces that replaces the traditional fin and horizontal surfaces with two surfaces set in a V-shaped configuration when viewed from the front or rear of the aircraft. The aft edge of each twin surface is a hinged control surface which combines the functions of both a rudder and elevators.

Monoplane fixed-wing aircraft with a single main wing plane

A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with a single main wing plane, in contrast to a biplane or other multiplane, each of which has multiple planes.

Contents

Development

The Queen Bee was an all-metal cantilever low-wing monoplane powered by a Lycoming O-320-A1A flat-four piston engine. [1] It had a V-tail and an electrically retractable tricycle landing gear. [1] The canopy shared a similar shape as the Ryan Navion. The wings were outfitted with fiberglass tip tanks. A 180 hp Lycoming O-360-A-1-A was planned as an optional engine. [2]

Lycoming O-320 family of flat-four piston aircraft engines

The Lycoming O-320 is a large family of 92 different naturally aspirated, air-cooled, four-cylinder, direct-drive engines commonly used on light aircraft such as the Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee. Different variants are rated for 150 or 160 horsepower. As implied by the engine's name, its cylinders are arranged in horizontally opposed configuration and a displacement of 320 cubic inches (5.24 L).

Tricycle landing gear aircraft undercarriage arranged with main gear under the wing or fuselage and a third set under the nose

Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or landing gear, arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has a single nose wheel in the front, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity. Tricycle gear aircraft are the easiest to take-off, land and taxi, and consequently the configuration is the most widely used on aircraft.

Aircraft canopy

An aircraft canopy is the transparent enclosure over the cockpit of some types of aircraft. An aircraft canopy provides a controlled and sometimes pressurized environment for the aircraft's occupants, and allows for a greater field of view over a traditional flight deck. A canopy's shape is a compromise designed to minimize aerodynamic drag, while maximizing visibility for pilots and other crewmembers.

Only a prototype was built and the aircraft did not enter production. The Queen Bee prototype was destroyed when the original San Diego Aerospace Museum burned down in 1978. [3]

Prototype early sample or model built to test a concept or process

A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and software programming. A prototype is generally used to evaluate a new design to enhance precision by system analysts and users. Prototyping serves to provide specifications for a real, working system rather than a theoretical one. In some design workflow models, creating a prototype is the step between the formalization and the evaluation of an idea.

San Diego Air & Space Museum Aerospace museum in California, US

San Diego Air & Space Museum is an aviation and space exploration museum in San Diego, California, United States. The museum is located in Balboa Park and is housed in the former Ford Building, which is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places. SDASM was established by articles of incorporation on October 12, 1961 and opened to the public on February 15, 1963.

Specifications

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1961–62 [4]

General characteristics

Hartzell Propeller company

Hartzell Propeller was founded in 1917 by Robert N. Hartzell as the Hartzell Walnut Propeller Company. It is an American manufacturer of composite and aluminum propellers for certified, homebuilt, and ultralight aircraft. The company headquarters is located in Piqua, Ohio.

Performance

  • Cruise speed: 155 mph (249 km/h; 135 kn)
  • Stall speed: 55 mph (89 km/h; 48 kn)
  • Never exceed speed: 193 mph (311 km/h; 168 kn)
  • Range: 650 mi (565 nmi; 1,046 km)
  • Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4,600 m)
  • Rate of climb: 900 ft/min (4.6 m/s)

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References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Orbis 1985, p. 516
  2. ↑ Sport Aviation. April 1960.Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑ "American airplanes:Ba - Bll". www.aerofiles.com. 11 March 2009. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 2009-12-23.
  4. ↑ Taylor 1961, p. 205.

Bibliography

  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. 
  • Taylor, John W. R. (1961). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1961–62. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company. 


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