Windstar YF-80

Last updated
YF-80
RoleHomebuilt aircraft
National origin United States
ManufacturerWindstar

The Windstar YF-80 is an American single seat homebuilt replica of the Lockheed F-80. [1]

Contents

Design and development

A Lockheed F-80, which the YF-80 fuselage is modeled after P80-1 300.jpg
A Lockheed F-80, which the YF-80 fuselage is modeled after

The YF-80 is a two-thirds scale replica of a Lockheed F-80 or T-33. The aircraft is a composite construction, single engine, low wing design with retractable tricycle landing gear. The tip tanks are removable for aerobatic flight. [2] The aircraft is powered by a Chevy 350 V-8 turbocharged engine driving a turbine thrust section. The thrust section is driven by belts with high gear ratios to drive the turbine closer to the rotational speed it was originally designed for. [3]

The aircraft project was intended to showcase the Davis engine technology with a static prototype displayed in 1977. Burt Rutan was approached to build the composite fuselage, but the US$240,000 cost estimate was declined. Davis attempted to produce a production prototype fuselage for US$80,000. By 1987 the project was not complete, resulting in a court case between investors. The prototype was re-engined with a Turbomeca Marboré II turbine engine as the Stargate YT-33. [4]

Variants

Stargate YT-33 (MT-33)
Turbine powered prototype [5]

Specifications (YF-80)

Data from Jane's all the world's aircraft, 1978-79 [6]

General characteristics

Performance

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References

  1. Garrison, Peter (November 1977). "Homebuilder Heaven". Flying Magazine. New York, NY: Ziff-Davis Publishing Co. pp. 72–74, 133. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  2. Gallagher, Sheldon M. & Levy, Howard (January 1978). "New homebuilts : Classy looks with a dash of the old days". Popular Mechanics. New York, NY: The Hearst Corporation. pp. 54–56, 116. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  3. Flight International. 22 August 1977.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. F. Marc de Piolenc & George E. Wright Jr. Ducted Fan Design, Volume 1 (Revised). p. 92.
  5. "Stargate MT33" . Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  6. Taylor, John W R (1978). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1978-79. London: Jane's Yearbooks. p. 552. ISBN   0-35-400572-3.