Chrislea Super Ace

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Super Ace
Type light aircraft
Manufacturer Chrislea Aircraft Limited
Designed by R.C. Christophorides
Maiden flight 1948
Produced 1948-1952
Number built 21

The Chrislea Super Ace is a 1940s British four-seat light aircraft built by Chrislea Aircraft Limited.

Contents

[edit] History

The Super Ace was developed from the earlier Chrislea C.H.3 Ace, a high-wing cabin monoplane with a tricycle undercarriage and two fins. Unlike the Ace, the Super Ace was fitted with a rudder bar and more use of metal construction. Both the Ace and Super Ace had an unusual 'steering wheel' arrangement (instead of a control stick) which was criticised by potential customers during demonstration flights. The Ace originally flew with a single vertical tail but was soon modified with twin fins. Soon after the company moved to Exeter, the first C.H.3 Series 2 Super Ace flew in February 1948. The aircraft were powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Major 10 inline piston engine. Construction was initiated on a production run of 27 aircraft, but only 21 were completed and flown. Construction of four was stopped in 1952 when the company assets were bought by C.E. Harper Aircraft Limited. The four partially built and two completed aircraft were scrapped. A variant (the C.H.3 Series 4 Skyjeep) was first flown in 1949. The Skyjeep had a tailwheel landing gear, a conventional control stick, and removable top decking on the rear fuselage. Two further Skyjeeps were built and sold in Argentina and Australia, and two uncompleted aircraft were scrapped in 1952.

[edit] Survivors

There are two flying examples in the UK, G-AKVF and G-AKUW.

[edit] Variants

  • C.H.3 Series 1 Ace - four-seat high-wing monoplane with tricycle undercarriage powered by a 125 hp Lycoming O-290 engine, one built.
  • C.H.3 Series 2 Super Ace - 21 flown.
  • C.H.3 Series 3 Skyjeep - conventional controls and tailwheel, 3 flown.

[edit] Specifications (Super Ace)

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Capacity: four passengers
  • Length: 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m)
  • Wingspan: 36 ft 0 in (10.97 m)
  • Height: 7 ft 7½ in (2.4 m)
  • Wing area: 177 ft² (16.44 m²)
  • Empty weight: 1,350 lb (612 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 2,350 lb (1066 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1× de Havilland Gipsy Major 10 inline piston, 145 hp (108 kW)

Performance


[edit] References

  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. 
  • Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 2. London: Putnam. ISBN 0 370 10010 7. 

[edit] External links