General Aviation GA-43

Last updated
GA-43
General Aviation GA-43 HB-ITU.jpg
General Aviation GA-43 HB-ITU in service with Swissair
RoleAirliner
National originUnited States of America
Manufacturer General Aviation
Designer Virginius E. Clark [1]
First flight22 May 1932
Primary user Swissair
Number built5

The General Aviation GA-43 was a single engine low-wing monoplane airliner produced in small numbers in the United States in the mid-1930s, also known as the Pilgrim 150, Fairchild 150, and sometimes but erroneously as the Clark GA-43 for the designer, Virginius E. Clark who was also responsible for the Clark Y airfoil section used. [1]

Contents

The prototype was developed and built by Fairchild's American Pilgrim division, but the program was taken over by General Aviation when the firm purchased American Pilgrim shortly before the prototype had flown. Although this first flight took place in 1932, manufacture did not commence until 1934, by which time General Motors had, in turn, gained a controlling interest in North American Aviation and merged it with General Aviation, which they already owned. The result of this was that the GA-43 became the first aircraft produced by North American.

Development

One of the prototypes Franz Schell Album Image (33484732394).jpg
One of the prototypes

The GA-43 was a conventional low-wing cantilever monoplane of all-metal construction. The prototype had fixed tailwheel landing gear, but the main units of this were later changed to be made retractable, and three of the four production examples also had retractable mainwheels, while the fourth aircraft had twin floats instead. The oval-section fuselage contained a ten-seat passenger cabin, and the cockpit was located atop the fuselage under a separate canopy.

Operators

GA-43 at Dubendorf HB-LAM Dubendorf.jpg
GA-43 at Dubendorf
Swissair GA-43 Clark GA-43 Flughafen Wien Aspern.jpg
Swissair GA-43
Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia
Sociedad Colombo Alemana de Transportes Aéreos (SCATA) (1 aircraft on floats)
Flag of Manchukuo.svg  Manchukuo
Flag of Spain (1931-1939).svg  Spain
Líneas Aéreas Postales Españolas (LAPE) (1 aircraft)
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland
Swissair (2 aircraft)

Specifications

Data from American airplane specifications [2]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

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References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Eckland, 2009
  2. Aviation April 1934, pp 123–124
  3. Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.

Bibliography