Gazuit-Valladeau GV-103 Gazelle

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The Gazuit-Valladeau GV-103 Gazelle was a French-built light two- to four-seat training, aerobatic and touring aircraft of the late 1960s.

Design and development

The first GV-103L, as it was originally called, was a two- or three-seat light touring aircraft first flown in 1969.

Later referred to as the GV-103 and powered by a 86 kW (115 hp) Lycoming O-235 flat-four engine, it led to several production variants with two, three and four seats using engines of increasing power within the same airframe.

It had a side-by-side seating layout and a fixed tricycle undercarriage with a longer nosewheel which gave the aircraft a pronounced tail down attitude on the ground. Its construction was primarily metal but included some glass fibre structures and plastic bonding, novel at the time

First flown on 1 May 1969, the GV-103 first appeared in public at the Paris Air Show in June 1969.

The first two seat production prototype GV-1020 Gazelle was on display at the Paris 1971 Show.

It was intended to meet a club market for basic and aerobatic training.

The second Gazelle to fly was the prototype of the four seat GV-1031 tourer, powered by a 112 kW (150 hp) Lycoming O-320 flat-four engine.

An intermediate, three seat variant with a Rolls-Royce built 97 kW (130 hp) Continental O-240 engine was planned but may not have been built.

A 4/5 seat variant with a 134 kW (180 hhp) engine and retractable undercarriage was also planned, and feasibility studies of a twin engine version made, but neither reached the construction stage.

Operational history

By November 1972 seven Gazelle prototypes were flying and the GV-1301 received its French certification in April that year, with the CV-1020 expected to follow in January 1973.

The GV-1020 only had a short operational career and was no longer on the French civil aircraft register by January 1983, though two GV-1031s, one dismantled, remained registered in mid-2010.

In 1970 plans for the Canadian company Mondair Aviation to build the Gazelle range under licence as the Mondair 115/130/150 were announced.

One GV-1031, engineless, reached Canada, but no North American production followed.

Variants

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1972/3[1] and Flight 30 November 1972

GV-103L

Later GV-103. First prototype, 2/3 seat, 85.7 kW (115 hp) Lycoming O-235 powered. 
    
GV-1031

Second prototype and production four seat tourer, 112 kW (150 hp) Lycoming O-320 powered. At least two built, one going to Canada.

GV-1020

Production two seat aerobatic and basic trainer, 85.7 kW (115 hp) Lycoming O-235 powered.

GV-1032

Three seat, Rolls-Royce built 97 kW (130 hp) Continental O-240. May not have been completed.

Specifications

Data from Flight 30 November 1972

General characteristics

Crew: 1

Capacity: 1 passenger

Length: 6.60 m (21 ft 8 in)

Wingspan: 8.75 m (28 ft 8 in)

Height: 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in)

Wing area: 12.10 m2 (130.2 sq ft)

Aspect ratio: 6.3

Airfoil: NACA 23015

Empty weight: 525 kg (1,157 lb)

Gross weight: 750 kg (1,653 lb)

Fuel capacity: 90L (23.8 US gal; 19.5 Imp gal)

Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-235 4-cylinder horizontally opposed air cooled piston, 86 kW (115 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 215 km/h (134 mph; 116 kn)

Cruising speed: 190 km/h (118 mph; 103 kn) at 75% power

Stall speed: 75 km/h (47 mph; 40 kn) full flaps

Range: 750 km (466 mi; 405 nmi)

Service ceiling: 3,500 m (11,483 ft)

Rate of climb: 3 m/s (590 ft/min)