| Mamba | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Two-seat light cabin monoplane |
| National origin | Australia |
| Manufacturer | Melbourne Aircraft Corporation Australian Aircraft Industries |
| Designer | Jess Smith [1] |
| Status | development continuing |
| History | |
| First flight | 25 January 1989 |
The IAC Mamba is an Australian two-seat light aircraft. It was designed and built by the Melbourne Aircraft Corporation (MAC) and first flew in 1989 as the MAC Mamba. [2] In 1990, MAC changed its name to the International Aircraft Corporation (IAC). [3]
The Mamba was intended for general aviation purposes, including leisure, training, and agricultural use. [1] Development was supported by the Australian government's Grants for Industrial Research and Development (GIRD) scheme. [1]
The Mamba is a strut-braced, high-wing monoplane designed over two years and first flown on 25 January 1989. It has fixed tricycle landing gear and is powered by a 116 hp (87 kW) Lycoming O-235 flat-four piston engine. It has an enclosed glazed cabin with side-by-side configuration seating for two. The fuselage is constructed of welded steel tubing with stressed aluminium skin. [1] The Mamba was designed to be rugged and easily maintained, even in remote areas where use of more advanced materials might prove a liability. [4]
MAC sought certification of the design under Australian standard ANO 101.22 and US FAR 23, and hoped to start manufacturing a two-seat version based on the prototype in 1989. [4] A four-seat version was expected to enter production the following year, [4] with a military version after that. [2] Differences from the civil version were to include armour for the cabin and provision for underwing stores, including two 20-mm cannon. [4] Intended applications included border patrol and counter-insurgency (COIN) operations. [4]
Initial production was to be in Australia, [4] at Echuca or Essendon, [3] with MAC considering offshore production for the future. [4] However, by 1992, production was still not underway, and Aviation Industries of Australia (AIA) was formed in Shepparton, to manufacture the design. [5] A mockup of the four-seat version was built the same year. [3]
A prototype of the military version was built under contract by Australian Aircraft Industries as the AA-2S Mamba powered by an IO-360.[ citation needed ] It was displayed as a static display at the 1999 Australian International Air Show at Avalon, Victoria. [3]
As of 2022, Mamba Aircraft Company aimed to restart development, possibly in collaboration with Chinese aviation manufacturers. [6]
Data fromJane's All the World's Aircraft 1989-90 [2]
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era