Aero Commander 100

Aero Commander 100/Darter Commander
Aero Commander 100 at Bendigo, Victoria, Australia in March 1988
Role Light aircraft
National origin United States of America
Manufacturer Volaircraft/Aero Commander
First flight 1960

The Aero Commander 100, various models of which were known as the Darter Commander and Lark Commander was a US light aircraft produced in the 1960s. It was a high-wing monoplane of conventional design, equipped with fixed tricycle undercarriage.

The aircraft was originally designed by Volaircraft, first flying in 1960. The firm marketed the original three-seat version as the Volaire 1035 and a four-seat version with a more powerful engine as the Volaire 1050 before North American Rockwell purchased all rights to the design on July 12, 1965, for production by its Aero Commander division. Production of the Darter Commander version continued until 1969 and of the revised Lark Commander until 1971 (by which time, Rockwell had dropped the Aero Commander brand name).

A Volaire 1050 was exhibited at the 1966 Hanover Air Show and later sold to Finland. Other examples of the type were exported to Australia and Canada.

Finding the light aircraft market too competitive for its liking, Rockwell sold the rights to all versions of the aircraft to Phoenix Aircraft in 1971, but this company never actually put it into production.

Variants

Volaircraft

  • Model 10 – prototypes
  • Volaire 1035 – three-seat production version powered by Lycoming O-290
  • Volaire 1050 – four-seat production version powered by Lycoming O-320

Aero Commander/Rockwell

Aero Commander 100
  • Aero Commander 100 – renamed Volaire 1050
    • Aero Commander 100A – renamed Volaire 1035
    • Darter Commander – 100 with revised windows and other minor modifications
  • Lark Commander 180 – revised aerodynamics and Lycoming O-360 engine.

Specifications (Darter Commander)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1969–70 [1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Capacity: 3 passengers
  • Length: 22 ft 6 in (6.86 m)
  • Wingspan: 35 ft 0 in (10.67 m)
  • Height: 9 ft 4 in (2.84 m)
  • Wing area: 181 sq ft (16.8 m2)
  • Empty weight: 1,280 lb (581 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 2,250 lb (1,021 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 44 US Gallons (166.5 L)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-320-A air-cooled flat-four, 150 hp (110 kW)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 133 mph (214 km/h; 116 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 128 mph (206 km/h; 111 kn) at 7,500 ft (2,285 m) (75% power)
  • Stall speed: 55 mph (89 km/h; 48 kn) flaps down
  • Never exceed speed: 170 mph (274 km/h; 148 kn)
  • Range: 510 mi (443 nmi; 821 km)
  • Service ceiling: 13,000 ft (4,000 m)
  • Rate of climb: 785 ft/min (3.99 m/s)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

  1. ↑ Taylor 1969, p.398

Media related to Aero Commander 100 at Wikimedia Commons

  • Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1969–70. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1969.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.