Grumman American AA-1

Grumman American AA-1 vu sur Wikipedia.en

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The Grumman American AA-1 series is a family of light, 2-seat [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]. The family includes the original American Aviation AA-1 Yankee Clipper and AA-1A Trainer, the Grumman American AA-1B Trainer and TR-2 and the Gulfstream American AA-1C Lynx and T-Cat.[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]

Development history


The Yankee was originally designed in 1962 by [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] as the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and was intended to be sold as a kit-built aircraft. Bede decided to certify the design under the then-new [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Part 23 rules and offer it as a completed aircraft. No BD-1 kits were ever sold.^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien][Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]}

The prototype first flew on July 11, 1963 and featured folding wings for trailering and ease of storage. Bede formed a company, Bede Aviation Corporation, based in [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], to produce the aircraft, but the BD-1 never entered production as a certified aircraft.

At that time the FAA was hesitant to certify a light aircraft with folding wings.

The certification process was complex and expensive and disagreements arose between Bede and the other
shareholders.

As a result Bede was ousted by his business partners and the company renamed [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

AA-1 Yankee Clipper

American's engineers reworked the wing to a non-folding design, easing FAR Part 23 certification. Other changes included adding extended[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] to improve rate-of-climb, an [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] on the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] along with a centering spring system to increase longitudinal stability and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] to improve handling during a [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

The company designated the redesigned aircraft the AA-1 Yankee Clipper.

The AA-1 was certified under FAR Part 23 on August 29, 1967 with the first production AA-1 flying on May 30, 1968.

The first 1969 models were delivered in the fall of 1968 at a base price of US$6495, notably lower than competitive aircraft types cost at that time.

American Aviation built 459 examples of the AA-1 Yankee Clipper between 1969 and 1971 at their factory in Cleveland, Ohio.

AA-1A Trainer

In 1971 American Aviation modified the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] 64-415 airfoil used on the AA-1's wing, creating the AA-1A Trainer.

The recontoured leading edge produced softer stall characteristics and permitted lower approach speeds.

While this did tame the AA-1's sharp stall, it also reduced the cruise speed compared to the original AA-1 by 10 mph.

First flight was on March 25, 1970 and 470 AA-1As were built in 1971-72.

AA-1B Trainer and TR-2


[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] bought American Aviation in 1971, renaming it Grumman American Aviation and beginning in late 1972 sold the 1973 model year design as the Grumman American AA-1B Trainer for school use.

The variant designed for the personal-use market was called the TR-2 and it featured a standard radio and trim package.

The AA-1B was produced until 1976. 680 AA-1Bs were produced.

All the AA-1s, AA-1As and AA-1Bs were powered by the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]-C2C low-compression engine designed for 80/87 avgas and which produced 108 hp.^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]}

AA-1C Lynx and T-Cat


The Grumman light aircraft line was then acquired by [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in 1977 who formed it into their light aircraft division, Gulfstream American.

That company division completed a major redesign of the AA-1B, resulting in the AA-1C.

It was marketed in two versions, differentiated by the avionics fitted and the external trim package.

The Lynx was targeted at private owners while the T-Cat was the flying school trainer.

These names were chosen to position the aircraft in the Gulfstream American line which, at that time featured the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

AA-1C Lynx

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AA-1C Lynx

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AA-1C Lynx

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Grumman American AA-1C T-Cat

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