Thorp T-18

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T-18
T18 in flight.jpg
Thorp T-18 in flight
Role Amateur-built aircraft
Manufacturer Eklund Engineering
Designer John Thorp
First flight1963
Number built400
Thorp T-18 Thorp T-18 amateur-built C-GEMP 02.JPG
Thorp T-18
T-18 Thorp T18 VH-OTM.jpg
T-18

The Thorp T-18 is an American, two-place, all-metal, plans-built, homebuilt aircraft designed in 1963 by John Thorp. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

The aircraft was originally designed as an open cockpit aircraft, powered by a military surplus Lycoming O-290G ground power unit engine, but evolved into a fully bubble canopied aircraft powered by engines of up to 200 hp (149 kW). [1]

Design and development

The T-18 was designed to be easily constructed from sheets of aluminum, and use a modified Lycoming O-290G. It was originally designed with an open cockpit and with the cylinder heads protruding through the engine cowling in the interest of simplicity. Even as originally designed, the cruising speed was quite high. The design showed great potential for higher performance and so modifications were created to install larger, cowled Lycomings and a bubble canopy. These modifications allow a T-18 with 125 hp (93 kW) to cruise at 160 mph (257 km/h) and higher-powered examples to cruise in excess of 200 mph (322 km/h). Some aircraft have been constructed with retractable landing gear. [4] [5]

These performance improvements made the T-18 one of the most popular homebuilt designs of the 1970s and early 1980s until the Van's Aircraft RV kitplane series came on the market. [4] [5]

The T-18 was designed to use the 125 hp (93 kW) Lycoming O-290G Ground Power Unit. At the time the T-18 was developed, these engines were inexpensive and widely available as military surplus generator motors. When converted for aircraft use they are virtually identical to the O-290D or O-290D2 aircraft engines. [1]

Other Lycoming engines can be used, including the Lycoming O-320, Lycoming O-340, Lycoming O-360 and the Lycoming IO-360. [1]

T-18 plans were available to builders from Eklund Engineering, which was also developing a laser-cut kit version and as of 2009 had aileron, flap and empennage kits. Classic Sport Aircraft at one time supplied plans, parts, and kits for the S-18 and the S-18T tricycle gear version, but went out of business in 2014. [1] [6] Thorp Central acquired the assets of Classic Sport Aircraft and now provides S-18 plans and parts. [7]

By 2011 over 1600 sets of plans had been sold and 400 examples were flying. [2]

Operational history

One T-18, N455DT, was built by Donald Taylor of California and flown around the world from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in 1976. This was the first successful circumnavigation of the world by a homebuilt aircraft. Taylor subsequently flew N455DT to the geographical North Pole, using a Sperry hybrid inertial navigation system. [8]

Clive Canning flew another T-18 from Australia to England earlier the same year. [9]

Variants

T-18
Original model
T-18W
Modified T-18, with changes designed by Lou Sunderland to provide a 2" (5 cm) wider fuselage.
T-18C
Modified T-18, with changes designed by Lou Sunderland to provide a "convertible" wing that rotates back against the fuselage for trailering or storage.
T-18CW
T-18 with wider fuselage and folding wing.
S-18
Similar to T-18CW, with modified airfoil and other minor changes. The Sunderland changes were made in collaboration with Thorp. [10]
Thorp S-18T ThorpS18T.jpg
Thorp S-18T
S-18T
Tricycle landing gear version [2] [3] [6] [10]

Specifications (S-18 with Lycoming O-360)

Data fromEklund [11] & Classic Sport Aircraft [12] & Thorp Central [13]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Eklund Engineering (n.d.). "Eklund Engineering" . Retrieved May 26, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011–12, page 98. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN   1368-485X
  3. 1 2 Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015–16, page 105. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN   1368-485X
  4. 1 2 Bowers, Peter M. Guide to Homebuilts – 9th Edition, pages 124–127. Tab Books, 1984. ISBN   0-8306-2364-7
  5. 1 2 Plane and Pilot: 1978 Aircraft Directory, page 157. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. ISBN   0-918312-00-0
  6. 1 2 Classic Sport Aircraft (n.d.). "Kit and Component Pricing". Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
  7. ↑ Grahn, Jim and MaryKay. "Thorp Central" . Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  8. ↑ EAA AirVenture Museum. "Thorp T-18" . Retrieved November 21, 2009.
  9. ↑ Century of Flight. "World Aviation in 1976". Archived from the original on May 15, 2009. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
  10. 1 2 Vandermeullen, Richard: 2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 48. Belvoir Publications. ISSN   0891-1851
  11. ↑ Eklund Engineering (n.d.). "T-18 specifications". Archived from the original on February 28, 2008. Retrieved May 27, 2009.
  12. ↑ Classic Sport Aircraft (n.d.). "Performance". Archived from the original on December 7, 2008. Retrieved May 27, 2009.
  13. ↑ "S-18," Thorp Central, retrieved January 20, 2024
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