Pocino PJ.1A

Last updated
PJ.1A Toucan
Role Single seat sports aircraft
National origin France
Designer José Pocino
First flight 6 November 1989
Number built 1

The Pocino PJ.1A Toucan is a French, single seat, twin boom light aircraft of pusher configuration which first flew in 1989. The single example remained active until at least 2007.

France Republic with mainland in Europe and numerous oversea territories

France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.3 million. France, a sovereign state, is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.

Pusher configuration arrangement of propellers on an aircraft to face rearward

In a vehicle with a pusher configuration, the propeller(s) are mounted behind their respective engine(s). According to British aviation author Bill Gunston, a "pusher propeller" is one mounted behind the engine, so that the drive shaft is in compression.

Contents

Design and development

José Pocino's Toucan has a pod style fuselage with the pilot enclosed under a single piece canopy that continues the fuselage profile. The pilot's seat is ahead of the wing leading edge, with the pusher engine behind it. For its first flight the Toucan was powered by a Hirth two cylinder, two stroke engine, completely enclosed within the fuselage but this was soon replaced by a 38 kW (51 hp) Rotax 503.2V engine of similar configuration, driving a three rather than two-bladed propeller. [1] The engine change led to a slightly revised engine cowling and a decreased area of the cockpit transparency. A fixed tricycle undercarriage is mounted on the fuselage. Initially the main wheel legs were braced [1] but have been replaced with cantilevers. [2]

Fuselage aircraft main body which is the primary carrier of crew, passengers, and payload

The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, and cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, as well, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage, which in turn is used as a floating hull. The fuselage also serves to position control and stabilization surfaces in specific relationships to lifting surfaces, which is required for aircraft stability and maneuverability.

Aircraft canopy

An aircraft canopy is the transparent enclosure over the cockpit of some types of aircraft. An aircraft canopy provides a controlled and sometimes pressurized environment for the aircraft's occupants, and allows for a greater field of view over a traditional flight deck. A canopy's shape is a compromise designed to minimize aerodynamic drag, while maximizing visibility for pilots and other crewmembers.

Leading edge

The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air; alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil section. The first is an aerodynamic definition, the second a structural one. As an example of the distinction, during a tailslide, from an aerodynamic point of view, the trailing edge becomes the leading edge and vice versa but from a structural point of view the leading edge remains unchanged.

The Toucan's wing is straight edged, of constant chord and square tipped, set low on the fuselage. There is some dihedral outboard of a brief centre section. From the wing roots two slender beams extend rearwards to cropped triangular fins, linked by a straight edged tailplane at about one third fin height. The unbalanced rudders are rectangular. [1]

Wing root

The wing root is the part of the wing on a fixed-wing aircraft or winged-spaceship that is closest to the fuselage. On a simple monoplane configuration, this is usually easy to identify. On parasol wing or multiple boom aircraft, the wing may not have a clear root area.

Fin flight control surface

A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fins are also used to increase surface areas for heat transfer purposes, or simply as ornamentation.

Tailplane small lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplanes

A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabiliser, is a small lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplanes. Not all fixed-wing aircraft have tailplanes. Canards, tailless and flying wing aircraft have no separate tailplane, while in V-tail aircraft the vertical stabiliser, rudder, and the tail-plane and elevator are combined to form two diagonal surfaces in a V layout.

The Toucan first flew on 6 November 1989, powered by the Hirth engine, [1] and received its Certificate of Airworthiness on 9 December 1991. [3] It flew at the RSA rallies in 2006 and 2007 [2] and remains on the French Civil Aircraft Register in 2014. [4]

Specifications

Data from Gaillard (1991), p.248 [1]

General characteristics

Hirth

Göbler-Hirthmotoren GmbH is an aircraft engine manufacturer based in Benningen, Germany.

Rotax 503 two-stroke engine

The Rotax 503 is a 37 kW (50 hp), inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.

Performance

  • Cruise speed: 140 km/h (87 mph; 76 kn)

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Gaillard, Pierre (1991). Les Avions Francais de 1965 à 1990. Paris: Éditions EPA. p. 248. ISBN   2 85120 392 4.
  2. 1 2 "F-PCJP - Pocino PJ-1A Toucan" . Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  3. ↑ Chillon, Jacques. Fox Papa - Registre des avions Français amateur (2009 ed.). Brive: Ver Luisant. p. 33. ISBN   978-2-3555-1-066-3.
  4. ↑ Partington, Dave (201). European registers handbook 2014. Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN   978-0-85130-465-6.
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