| Wilson Global Explorer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The second Global Explorer undergoing maintenance at Santa Fe Airport, New Mexico, in 1995. | |
| Role | amphibian |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Dean W. Wilson |
| Designer | Dean W. Wilson |
| First flight | April 1991 |
| Introduction | 1994 |
| Status | currently airworthy |
| Primary user | international explorers |
| Number built | 2 |
The Wilson Global Explorer is an American-built amphibious aircraft of the early 1990s which has been utilised to assist the exploration of remote areas.
The high-wing twin-engine Global Explorer was designed and constructed in Idaho by Dean W. Wilson to the order of the explorer Hubert de Chevigny and the aircraft first flew in April 1991. [1] A second aircraft was constructed later.
The Global Explorer has an unusually deep and wide fuselage design with many glazed areas, and accommodation at the rear for sleeping and other purposes. For added strength, the high-set wings are each supported by brace structures from the side fuselage and from the lower sponsons. The nose gear retracts forward of the hull and acts as a bumper for water operations. [2] The mainwheels can be removed and the fixed side sponsons assist flotation and manoeuvering on water. Various Lycoming engines of between 200 hp and 300 hp have been fitted, depending on the expected altitude to be reached during planned operations.
The Explorer 1 (N376DT), painted in white, was used by Hubert de Chevigny and Nicolas Hulot. After a take off with the lift spoilers "on", the plane hit the trees and crashed near Port McNeill, British Columbia. [3]
The Explorer 2 (N376LC), painted in yellow, has been used by Canal + for the French show Dans la nature with Stéphane Peyron, with the name "L'Avion", in the exploration and filming of a wide variety of locations including Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Argentina's Tierra del Fuego and Bolivia. It can be readily stripped down and shipped by sea to required locations and can carry and accommodate seven persons overnight. [4] The aircraft flew finally from Australia to France in 1998 and it was then withdrawn from use and the project was abandoned due to the unique aircraft's high cost of maintenance. It crashed at Blois / Le Breuil aerodrome in 2001. It's now stored in the "Musée de l'Hydraviation" at Biscarrosse.
Data from coastcomp.com
General characteristics
Performance
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
The Aermacchi AM.3 was the result of a joint venture between Aermacchi and Aeritalia in response to an Italian Army requirement for an aircraft to replace the Cessna L-19, and was initially designated the MB-335.
The Gulfstream American GA-7 Cougar is an American all-metal, 4-seat, twin-engined light aircraft. The Cougar was a twin-engine development of the Gulfstream American AA-5B Tiger and traces its lineage to the AA-1 Yankee Clipper and the Bede BD-1.
The Piper J-5 Cub Cruiser was a larger, more powerful version of the basic Piper J-3 Cub. It was designed just two years after the J-3 Cub, and differed by having a wider fuselage with the pilot sitting in the front seat and two passengers sitting in the rear seat. Equipped with a 75-hp Continental engine the plane's cruising speed was 75 mph. Though officially a three-seater, it would be more accurately described as a "two-and-a-half-seater", as two adults would find themselves quite cramped in the wider rear seat. The Cruiser sold for $1,798 when it was first designed.
The Partenavia P.64B/P.66B Oscar is an Italian two/four-seat, single-engined, high-wing monoplane built by Partenavia.
The Piaggio P.166 is an Italian twin-engine pusher-type utility aircraft developed by Piaggio Aero. The aircraft model name was Portofino, and is also known as Albatross in South African military service.
The Wassmer WA-51 Pacific is a French four-seat cabin monoplane designed and built by Société Wassmer. Different-powered variants include the Wassmer WA-52 Europa and the Wassmer WA-54 Atlantic. It was the world's first composite material-built aircraft.
The NAC-1 Freelance, originally the BN-3 Nymph, is a British four-seat touring monoplane.
The Scintex ML 250 Rubis was a French civil utility aircraft of the 1960s.
The Eagle DW.1 is an American-built single-seat agricultural biplane of the late 1970s.
The Ambrosini Rondone is an Italian-designed two/three-seat light touring monoplane of the early 1950s.
The SAN Jodel D.140 Mousquetaire (Musketeer) is a French five-seat light touring monoplane based on the earlier Jodel D.117 and built by Société Aéronautique Normande (SAN) at Bernay.
The Steen Skybolt is an American homebuilt aerobatic biplane. Designed by teacher Lamar Steen as a high school engineering project, the prototype first flew in October 1970.
The Robin DR.200 is a family of French conventional landing gear single-engined light touring or training cabin monoplanes. Originally produced by Centre Est Aéronautique the company later changed its name to Avions Pierre Robin.
The Scheibe SF-23 Sperling (en:Sparrow) is a 1950s German two-seat cabin monoplane.
The Wilson Private Explorer is an American-built recreational aircraft of the late 1990s.
The Avid Flyer is a family of American single engine, high-wing, strut-braced, conventional landing gear-equipped, two seat ultralight aircraft designed for kit construction in the 1980s. Its several variants sold in large numbers. In 1987 a Flyer became the first ultralight to land at the North Pole.
The Aviamilano F.14 Nibbio is a four-seat, single engine cabin monoplane built in Italy in the late 1950s. Only ten production aircraft were completed.
The Uetz Pelikan is a Swiss four-seat cabin monoplane designed for amateur construction by Walter Uetz.
The Stephens Akro is a single engine monoplane designed in the United States for aerobatic competitions. It first flew in 1967 and proved very successful, leading to several developments of which one won seven US Championships and one World Championship between 1975 and 1982. The Extra EA-230 and Extra EA-300 were also Akro developments with over two hundred built.
The Farrington Twinstar is an American two-seat autogyro that was designed and produced by Farrington Aircraft of Paducah, Kentucky, a company owned by Don Farrington. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction. It first flew in 1993.
