Camair Twin Navion

Last updated
Twin Navion
Twin Navion.JPG
A similar TEMCO-Riley D-16A conversion in July 2010
RoleUtility aircraft
Manufacturer Camair
First flight1953
Number built33
Developed from Ryan Navion

The Camair Twin Navion was a civil utility aircraft produced in the United States in the 1950s by converting single-engine Ryan Navions to twin-engine power. It had been one of two programs to improve the performance of the otherwise-pleasing Navion that was generally considered to be underpowered. The other program had resulted in the TEMCO-Riley D-16A Twin Navion. The Twin Navion design had been undertaken by the White brothers of White Engineering in San Antonio, Texas. They replaced the Navion's engine with a baggage compartment, mounted two engines within new nacelles attached to the wing leading edges, fitted the aircraft with a new tail fin made of fiberglass, and added tip tanks made from recycled WWII napalm canisters. Designated the WE-1, the prototype and the rights were sold to Camair soon after its first flight in 1953 and Civil Aviation Authority type certification was achieved in May 1955 under the name Camair 480. Sales were slow and Camair built only 25 examples before selling off the rights in 1959. The ownership of these rights would change hands twice again over the following decade but only another eight aircraft would be built after the end of Camair's involvement

Contents

Specifications (480)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1956–57 [1]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Related Research Articles

Temco TT Pinto

The Temco TT Pinto is a tandem two-seat primary jet trainer built for the United States Navy by Temco Aircraft of Dallas, Texas.

Ryan Navion single-engine four seat aircraft

The RyanNavion is and single-engine, unpressurized, retractable gear, four-seat aircraft originally designed and built by North American Aviation in the 1940s. It was later built by Ryan Aeronautical Company and the Tubular Steel Corporation (TUSCO). The Navion was envisioned as an aircraft that would perfectly match the expected postwar boom in civilian aviation, since it was designed along the general lines of, and by the same company which produced the North American P-51 Mustang.

Bristol Superfreighter Twin-engine freighter and airliner

The Bristol Type 170 Superfreighter Mk 32 was a larger, stretched version of the Bristol Freighter designed for Silver City Airways for use on the short air ferry routes to France.

Harbin Y-11 agricultural and geological survey aircraft

The Harbin Y-11 is a high wing twin-engine piston utility and geological survey aircraft built by Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation (HAMC).

Aero-Flight Streak general aviation aircraft by Aero-Flight in the United States

The Aero-Flight Streak was an American two-seat light aircraft built in 1946 by Aero-Flight Aircraft Corporation at Buffalo, New York. Advanced for its time, it was of all-metal construction with tricycle undercarriage, and accommodated the pilot and passenger in tandem beneath a sliding, bubble canopy.

All American Ensign

The All American 10A Ensign was a two-seat light plane built in the United States shortly after World War II. It was a low-wing, all-metal cantilever monoplane with fixed tricycle undercarriage and which seated its pilot and passenger side by side under an expansive bubble canopy. Due to the glut of military surplus aircraft on the civil market after the war, All American was unable to attract buyers and no production ensued.

Bartlett Zephyr

The Bartlett LC-13A Zephyr 150 was a United States light civil aircraft built in the 1940s. It was a mid-wing braced monoplane of conventional design with side-by-side seating for two and fixed, tailwheel undercarriage. It was originally marketed as the Babcock LC-13 by its original manufacturer, then as the Taubman LC-13 when the Babcock Airplane Corporation was acquired by Taubman Aircraft. The rights were finally acquired by Bartlett Aircraft in 1941, but plans to mass-produce it were halted by the outbreak of World War II. There was a brief attempt to revive the design at the end of the war, but nothing came of this.

CAB Supercab

The CAB GY-30 Supercab was a two-seat light aircraft built in France in 1954, as a further development of the CAB Minicab. The design was performed by Yves Gardan, a onetime employee of French aeronautical company SIPA. Changes incorporated in the Supercab included a more powerful engine, greater wingspan, manually retractable undercarriage, and slotted flaps that replaced the split flaps of the Minicab.

Doman LZ-5

The Doman LZ-5 was a utility helicopter developed in the United States in the early 1950s by Doman Helicopters Inc. of Danbury, Connecticut. Despite the procurement of international manufacturing agreements, no series production of the aircraft ever occurred and only three prototypes were built. Two of these were purchased by the United States Army as the YH-31, but eventually becoming VH-31.

Colonial Skimmer amphibian flying boat by Colonial Aircraft

The Colonial Model C-1 Skimmer was an American small single-engined amphibian flying boat built by the Colonial Aircraft Corporation. It was the start of a line of very similar aircraft designed by David Thurston.

Piaggio P.148 training aircraft

The Piaggio P.148 was a 1950s Italian two-seat primary or aerobatic training monoplane designed and built by Piaggio Aero.

SIAI-Marchetti SM.102

The SIAI-Marchetti SM.102 was a 1940s Italian light transport cabin monoplane designed and built by SIAI-Marchetti.

The Partenavia P.55 Tornado is a 1950s Italian high-performance competition and touring monoplane built by Partenavia. The Tornado was a small mid-wing cantilever monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear. The aircraft was powered by a nose-mounted Lycoming O-320 piston engine.

The Muniz Casmuniz 52 was a twin-engine light transport aircraft designed by Antonio Muniz in Brazil. It was the first all-metal aircraft built in Brazil, only the prototype was built.

SAI KZ IV

The SAI KZ IV was a light twin-engined aircraft first built in Denmark in 1944 for use as an air ambulance.

Ambrosini Rondone 1950s general aviation aircraft

The Ambrosini Rondone is an Italian-designed two/three-seat light touring monoplane of the early 1950s.

Custer CCW-5

The Custer CCW-5 was a twin-engined, 5-seat aircraft of pusher configuration, which used a channel wing claimed to enable low speed flight and short take-offs. Two CCW-5s flew, eleven years apart, but the type never entered production.

The Temco 58 was a low wing single engine, tandem seat propeller driven trainer designed for sale to overseas air forces. It did not reach production.

Temco D-16

The Temco D-16 is a 1950s twin engine civil aircraft from the United States. It was produced by conversion of a Ryan Navion to replace its single engine with two wing-mounted engines. It is commonly known as the Twin Navion, although that name is also often applied to a later similar conversion, the Camair 480.

CSS-12 prototype Polish twin-engined feederliner of the 1950s

The CSS-12 was a prototype Polish twin-engined feederliner of the 1950s. A single example was built and flown in 1950, but no production followed.

References

  1. Bridgman 1956, p. 246.