Vultee V-1
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Vultee V-1A | |
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Type | Eight-passenger transport |
Manufacturer | Airplane Development Corporation |
Designed by | Gerard Vultee |
Maiden flight | 1933 |
Introduced | 1934 |
Primary user | American Airlines |
Number built | 24 (+1 V-1 Prototype) |
The Vultee V-1A was a 1930s American single-engined airliner built by the Airplane Development Corporation and designed by Gerard Vultee.
[edit] Development
The prototype (designated the V-1) was an all-metal low-wing cantilever monoplane with a retractable tailwheel landing gear. It had accommodation for a pilot and six passengers and first flew on 19 February 1933. The production aircraft were designated the V-1A and had a slightly larger and longer fuselage for two pilots and eight passengers. Production ended in 1936 after 24 aircraft had been built.
[edit] Operational history
American Airlines bought eight V-1As and the V-1 prototype (after it had been modified for two pilot operation) and they entered service in 1934. By 1936 they were sold having been replaced with twin-engined aircraft. A number of aircraft were operated by private companies or individuals. One V-1A was fitted with twin floats and sold to the Soviet Union. One aircraft was used in an attempt to make the first flight from New York to London to New York flight it was later used by Nationalist forces in Spain. Seven former American Airlines aircraft were used by the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War, these aircraft had machine-guns and under-fuselage bomb racks fitted. Four of the aircraft were captured by the Nationalists.
[edit] Specifications (V-1A)
Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 3075
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Capacity: 8 passengers
- Wingspan: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m)
- Gross weight: 8500 lb (3856 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Wright Cyclone R-1820-F2, 750 hp (559 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 225 mph (362 km/h)
- Range: 1000 miles (1609 km)
[edit] References
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing
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