Cozy MK IV | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Homebuilt aircraft |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co |
Designer | Nat Puffer |
Number built | 350 (2015) [1] |
History | |
Introduction date | 1991 |
First flight | 1993 [2] |
Developed from | Rutan Long-EZ |
The Cozy Mark IV is a 4-seat, single engine, homebuilt light aircraft designed by Nat Puffer, with parts and plans supplied by Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co. The aircraft is built from plans using basic raw materials. It is not a kit aircraft, though many small parts are available prefabricated. The Cozy is similar in design and construction to the 2-seat Rutan Long-EZ, from which it is derived, [1] [3] with approval from Burt Rutan.
The Cozy Mark IV utilizes foam and fiberglass sandwich construction, with foam suited to the usage, fiberglass oriented for the stresses, and epoxy to bond them together. [3]
Nat Puffer designed the aircraft as a high speed cross-country visual flight rules (VFR) aircraft, although many builders equip their planes with instrument flight rules (IFR) capabilities. [4]
The aircraft is constructed primarily of fiberglass, foam, and epoxy. Urethane foam is used to form highly curved, hand-carved shapes such as the nose and wing tips. Blue rigid styrofoam is cut with a hot wire saw to form the wing cores. Thin PVC foam sheets are used to form bulkheads and the fuselage sides. Two types of woven fiberglass are used to provide the surface strength of the composite sandwich. RA7715 fiberglass is almost entirely unidirectional in its fiber orientation. RA7725 has an equal portion of perpendicular fiberglass strands. Epoxy systems used include EZ-Poxy, Safe-T-Poxy, MGS L285 and L335, and West Systems. The builder does not need pre-fabricated items to finish the aircraft except for the landing gear bow and nose gear strut which require forms and an oven for post curing, but several suppliers exist for these parts.[ citation needed ]
The recommended engine is the 180 hp (134 kW) Lycoming O-360, but a variety of powerplants from 160 to 220 hp (119 to 164 kW) have been used. One installation uses two Suzuki 1600 automobile engines driving two concentric contrarotating propellers. [3] [1]
Data from [5]
General characteristics
Performance
The Rutan Model 61 Long-EZ is a tandem 2-seater homebuilt aircraft designed by Burt Rutan's Rutan Aircraft Factory. The Long-EZ has a canard layout, a swept wing with wingtip rudders, and a pusher engine and propeller. The tricycle landing gear has fixed main wheels with streamlined spats and a retractable nosewheel. Its predecessor was the VariEze, plans for which were first available to homebuilders in 1976. The prototype Long-EZ, N79RA, first flew on June 12, 1979.
The Rutan VariEze is a composite, canard aircraft designed by Burt Rutan. It is a high-performance homebuilt aircraft, hundreds of which have been constructed. The design later evolved into the Long-EZ and other, larger cabin canard aircraft. The VariEze is notable for popularizing the canard configuration and moldless glass cloth composite construction for homebuilt aircraft.
Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.
The Thorp T-18 is an American, two-place, all-metal, plans-built, homebuilt aircraft designed in 1963 by John Thorp.
The Rutan Model 40 Defiant is a four-seat, twin-engine homebuilt aircraft with the engines in a push-pull configuration. It was designed by aerospace engineer Burt Rutan for the Rutan Aircraft Factory.
The Berkut 360 is a tandem-seating, two-seat homebuilt canard aircraft with pusher configuration and retractable landing gear, built primarily of carbon fiber and fiberglass.
The Velocity Model 173 SE (Standard Elite) is an entry-level canard pusher aircraft from Velocity Aircraft. The four seat, rear engine aircraft may be powered by a 160 hp (120 kW) Lycoming IO-320 or a 200 hp (150 kW) Lycoming IO-360 engine.
The Velocity XL is an American amateur-built aircraft, produced by Velocity, Inc. It is an enlarged version of their Velocity SE canard pusher design.
The Van's Aircraft RV-10 is a four-seat, single-engine, low-wing homebuilt airplane sold in kit form by Van's Aircraft. It is the first four-seat airplane in the popular RV series. The RV-10 first flew on 29 May 2003, and the first kit parts were delivered to a customer in September 2003.
The Cozy III is a 3-seat, single engine, homebuilt light aircraft designed by Nat Puffer. The aircraft is built from plans using basic raw materials. It is not a kit aircraft, though many small parts are available prefabricated. The Cozy is similar in design and construction to the 2-seat Rutan Long-EZ, from which it is derived, with approval from Burt Rutan.
The Isaacs Fury is a British homebuilt sporting biplane designed by John Isaacs as a seven-tenths scale replica of the Hawker Fury fighter.
Western Hirondelle is a Canadian two-seat aircraft for cross country and recreational flying, designed by Western Aircraft Supplies to be homebuilt from plans. The name is French for the Swallow, and the model designation includes the initials of the designers Jean Peters, Glenn Gibb, and John Kopala.
War Aircraft Replicas International, Inc. is an American aircraft manufacturer, originally located in Brandon, Florida and now Tulsa, Oklahoma, that specializes in kit built replica aircraft of World War II fighters.
The Rutan Model 77 Solitaire is an American, single seat, canard, mid-wing motor glider that was developed by Burt Rutan in response to the 1982 Sailplane Homebuilders Association Design Contest for a homebuilt glider. It first flew in 1982. The Solitaire was declared the winner of the contest and its unusual layout attracted a great deal of attention. For a time in the 1980s the aircraft was available as plans and as a kit.
The Avid Aircraft Magnum is an American two-seat homebuilt cabin monoplane which was designed and sold as kits by Avid Aircraft of Caldwell, Idaho.
The Stoddard-Hamilton Glasair II is an American amateur-built aircraft that was designed by Tom Hamilton and produced by Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft and later Glasair Aviation as a kit for amateur construction. It was first flown in 1989, and remained in production in 2012.
The Barr 6, also called the Barr Six, Barr 06 and more recently the Morrison 6, is an American amateur-built aircraft that was initially produced by Barr Aircraft of Williamsport, Pennsylvania and now by Morrison Aircraft of Nambour, Queensland, Australia. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.
The Pro-Composites Vision is an American amateur-built aircraft, designed by Steve Rahm and produced by Pro-Composites of Buffalo Grove, Illinois. The aircraft is supplied in the form of plans for amateur construction, with some pre-formed parts made available to speed construction.
The Quickie Q2 or Q2 is a two-seat version of the unique Rutan Quickie, produced in kit form by the Quickie Aircraft Corporation founded by Tom Jewett and Gene Sheehan. Canadian Garry LeGare was involved in the design.
The Parrish Dart is an American canard-configuration homebuilt aircraft that was designed by Jimmy R. Parrish and produced by Parrish Aircraft Xperimental, Inc. of Plantation, Florida. It first flew in the Autumn of 1995. When it was available the aircraft was supplied in the form of plans for amateur construction.