North American L-17 Navion. Photo. Characteristics.
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North American L-17 Navion. Photo. Characteristics.

North American L-17 Navion. Photo. Characteristics.

 

USA

A type: Connected single-engine plane and general-purpose aircraft

Capacity: the pilot and three passengers

In connection with the cancellation of a few days after the victory over Japan, a huge contract for the construction of aircraft with high performance characteristics as P and B-51-25, the company "North American" were forced to break the civilian market. Her first attempt was a four-seater monoplane NA-145 «Neyvion» (Navion), which became very popular in the years 1946-1947: 1100 was built more copies, mainly for the local US market. The US Air Force also expressed interest in purchasing the aircraft "Neyvion" and the prototype first flew in April 1946 years.

The first of 83 aircraft L-17A (so this aircraft was designated in the army aviation) was delivered at the end of the same year. The aircraft was used as a connected "workhorse", a carrier of people and cargo and an initial training aircraft in the framework of the program of the Corps for the retraining of officers of the reserve of the US Air Force. In the summer of 1947, Ryan Aeronautical Company acquired the Navion aircraft and the rights to manufacture it, selling the next 158 improved L-17B aircraft to the newly created US Air Force. The first of these aircraft was delivered in November 1948 year, and in 1949 the order for five cars was placed. Nevertheless, by February of the same year, the serial production of this aircraft was discontinued, although the 35 of the A-modification aircraft were later modified into the L-17C modification by installing improved brakes and increasing the fuel reserve.

Surviving aircraft L-17 1962 in the year following the revision of the designation of US military aircraft received a new designation U-18, although the operation of the aircraft shortly "Neyvion" ended. A small number of ex-military aircraft L- 17 / U-18 can still be found today in the register of the US, although very few of them have the coloring of the US Air Force.

Basic data

Dimensions:

Length: 8,38 m

Wingspan: 10,19 m

Height: 2,65 m

Power point: 0-470-7 of Continental

Power: 185 l. from. (140 kW)

The weight:

Empty: 882 kg

Maximum takeoff: 1338 kg

Aircraft performance characteristics:

Maximum speed: 260 km / h

Flight range: 1120 km

Date of first flight:

April 1946

Remaining airworthy modifications: L-17A / B and C (U-18A / B and C)

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