Dale Weejet 800

Last updated
Dale Weejet 800
RoleLight Jet
National origin United States of America
Manufacturer Dale-Air Engineering, Carma Mfg. Inc.
Designer Harold Dale, Eleanor Dale
First flight30 March 1956
Number built1

The Dale Weejet 800, or Weejet VT-1 was an early light jet intended for high-speed personal transport or primary military training. [1]

Contents

Design and development

Harold Dale, an engineer at North American Aviation who had designed several homebuilt aircraft, teamed up with Edward Gagnier, a former North American engineer, to develop the Weejet. The name was registered in February 1952 and the prototype was built in 2 1/2 years. [2]

The Weejet was a two-seat side-by-side, mid-winged all-aluminum, retractable tricycle gear aircraft with a V-tail arrangement. The aircraft was powered by a 920lb thrust Continental-Turbomeca Marbore II J-69-T-15 engine. Air was fed to the engine through two triangular inlets mounted on the inboard wing roots. Fuel was carried in the leading edge of the wings, and tip tanks. The aircraft had oxygen tanks and was pressurized to 3 psi differential pressure. The seats were designed to accommodate parachutes. The rudder pedals were adjustable for different pilot heights.

Operational history

The first test flight was conducted by Harold Dale on 30 March 1956. The aircraft completed several spin tests, but during one test the canopy opened and the aircraft went into an inverted spin. The pilot bailed out safely and the prototype crashed after performing an unmanned inverted loop. It was later found that the trim tab was set to full nose-down attitude during the test. A scheduled demonstration of the aircraft for the U.S. Navy was canceled. No other Weejets were produced. [3]

Specifications (Dale Weejet 800)

Data from Sport Aviation

General characteristics

Performance

Avionics

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related Research Articles

Dassault Étendard II French fighter-bomber jet prototype of the 1950s

The Dassault Étendard II was a French prototype fighter aircraft initially developed as a follow-on project to the Dassault Mystère series. It was presented to the French Air Force for evaluation but was rejected in favour of the Dassault Mirage III.

The ACME Anser was an amphibious twin-jet utility aircraft that was developed in the United States by Air Craft Marine Engineering in 1958. The project was cancelled before the prototype was complete.

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.

Miles Student

The Miles M.100 Student was built as a lightweight trainer as a private venture by F.G. and George Miles with development started in 1953. Although not specifically a Miles product, it was promoted as a British Royal Air Force trainer but failed to enter production.

Fouga CM.10

The Fouga CM.10 was an assault glider designed for the French Army shortly after World War II, capable of carrying 35 troops, later converted as a powered transport.

The Fouga CM.88 Gemeaux was a 1950s French engine test-bed aircraft produced by Fouga. An unusual aircraft as it was two aircraft joined by a common wing.

The Dassault MD.415 Communauté was a 1950s French twin-engined light turboprop transport monoplane built by Dassault Aviation. Only one prototype was built and flown.

Fouga CM.175 Zéphyr

The Fouga Zéphyr was a 1950s French two-seat carrier-capable jet trainer for the French Navy. It was developed from the land-based CM.170 Magister. It was replaced in 1994.

Ikarus 451

The Ikarus 451 is a family of research aircraft designs built in Yugoslavia in the 1950s, all sharing the same basic airframe, but differing in powerplants and cockpit arrangements. One member of the family Ikarus 451M became the first domestically-built jet aircraft to fly in Yugoslavia, on 25 October 1952.

Italair Pegaso

The Italair F.20 Pegaso was a twin-engine utility aircraft designed by Stelio Frati and built in Italy in 1971.

RWD 23

The RWD 23 was a Polish low-wing trainer aircraft of 1938, constructed by the RWD team, that remained a prototype.

Nord 3400

The Nord 3400 Norbarbe was a French two-seat observation and casualty-evacuation aircraft built by Nord Aviation for the French Army Light Aviation.

Viper Aircraft ViperJet

The Viper Aircraft ViperJet is a small homebuilt jet aircraft by Viper Aircraft Corporation. It is a conventional, low-wing monoplane with swept wings and tail and two seats in tandem under a bubble canopy. The jet intakes are located at the sides of the fuselage and the tricycle undercarriage is retractable. Construction throughout is of composite materials.

Spencer Air Car

The Spencer Amphibian Air Car is an American light amphibious aircraft. The name was first used in 1940 for a prototype air vehicle that developed into the Republic Seabee. The name was later used by its designer Percival Spencer for a series of homebuilt amphibious aircraft roughly based on the Seabee design.

The Morane-Saulnier MS.755 Fleuret was a prototype French two-seat jet trainer designed and built by Morane-Saulnier. It failed to gain any orders but was developed into the larger four-seat MS.760 Paris.

Nord Aviation CT20

The Nord Aviation CT20 was a French turbojet-powered radio-controlled target drone introduced in 1957. Developed from the Arsenal / S.F.E.C.M.A.S. T.5.510, the CT.20 was built by Nord Aviation and powered by a Turbomeca Marboré II engine, providing a top speed of 900 km/h and a flying time of 55 to 60 minutes. It has been noted for its similarity to the Ryan Firebee. The unmanned drone was used in the development of air-to-air missiles following the Second World War.

Stits SA-7 Sky-Coupe

The Stits SA-7 Skycoupe is a two-seat, side-by-side seating, high wing homebuilt aircraft designed by Ray Stits.

The SIPA S.300 was a French turbojet powered basic trainer, claimed to be the first of its kind anywhere. Only one was built, the prototype crashing after a year's development.

The Procaer Cobra was a two-seat turbojet powered light aircraft designed and built in Italy and flown in the early 1960s. Only one was completed.

The Stargate YT-33 is an American homebuilt aircraft that was designed and produced by Stargate, Inc of McMinnville, Oregon, introduced in 1994. The aircraft is a 2/3 scale replica of the Lockheed T-33 jet trainer.

References

  1. "The Elusive Dream" . Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  2. "WEEJET" . Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  3. Trefethen, Joan (May 1959). "The 'Weejet'". Sport Aviation: 4–5.