CSIR Sara II

Last updated
SARA II
RoleTwo-seat experimental autogyro
National originSouth Africa
Manufacturer Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
First flight30 November 1972
Number built1

The CSIR SARA II (SARA - South African Research Autogyro) is a South African two-seat experimental autogyro designed and built by the Aeronautics Research Unit of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. [1]

Contents

Development

As part of the support to South African aircraft manufacturing industry the ARU developed a single-seat autogyro as a research vehicle. [1] Design of the autogyro was started in 1965 and construction followed in April 1967, by 1972 the autogyro, registered ZS-UGL, was ready for tethered tests mounted on a lorry-platform, it made its first free flight on 30 November 1972 at Swartkop Air Force Base. [1] Following the test flights the autogyro was modified. [1]

Design

The autogyro had a box-like fuselage structure made from light-alloy and was fitted with twin fins and rudders with a fixed incidence tail-plane mounted between them. [1] It was fitted with a two-bladed teetering rotor, the rotor could be spun up using a shaft drive through a clutch from the engine. [1] The engine located at the rear was a 180 hp (134 kW) Continental O-360-A air-cooled engine driving a two-bladed constant-speed pusher propeller. [1] The crew sat side by side in the enclosed fuselage with dual controls, entrance is through a forward-opening glazed door on each side. [1] The landing gear was a fixed tricycle type with a self-centering and steerable nosewheel. [1]

Specifications

Data from [2]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

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References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Taylor 1973, pp. 174-175
  2. ↑ Taylor, John W.R., ed. (1975). Jane's all the world's aircraft, 1975-76 (66th annual ed.). New York: Franklin Watts Inc. ISBN   978-0531032503.

Bibliography

  • Taylor, John W.R., ed. (1973). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1973-74. London, United Kingdom: Jane's Yearbooks. ISBN   0-354-00117-5.
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