| M-24 Orion | |
|---|---|
| Role | Two seat autogyro |
| National origin | Italy |
| Manufacturer | Magni Gyro srl, Besnate |
| First flight | 2008 |
| Status | in production |
| Number built | >15 |
| Developed from | XM-23 Orion |
The Magni M-24 Orion is an Italian sport autogyro, seating two side-by-side in an enclosed cabin.
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Magni Gyro currently produces five sport autogyro models, all with similar pod and low boom, pusher engine layouts, but the M-24 Orion is the only one with side by side seating and an enclosed cabin. It has a steel airframe with a carbon fibre cabin and engine-enclosing pod. Transparent, top hinged doors on either side give access to the two seats, which are slightly staggered to make the most of the cabin width. The 2-bladed rotor, mounted on a mast above the pod, is of composite construction.[1]
A 85 kW (114 hp) Rotax 914ULS flat four engine is mounted at cabin-top height and drives a 3-bladed pusher propeller. Below it, the slender flat-sided boom carries the fibreglass empennage, which consists of a swept horizontal stabilizer with end-plate fins and a larger, central, fin and rudder. The Orion has a tricycle undercarriage with the faired mainwheels, fitted with brakes, on spring cantilever legs. The nosewheel is unfaired.[1]
The Orion's immediate precursor is the XM-23 Orion, which first flew on 1 February 2007, but both share many components with the tandem, open cockpit M-16 and M-22.[1]
The Orion was first seen in public in August 2008 and a pre-production run of 10 aircraft was initiated that autumn, with full scale production starting in 2009.[1]
By mid-2010 there were 11 Orions on the mainland European (Russian excluded) registers, the majority in France.[2] UK type approval was reached in 2010[3] and 4 aircraft are currently (November 2010) on the UK register.[4]
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2010/11[1]
General characteristics
Performance
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