Loening PA-1

The Loening PA-1 (Pursuit-Air cooled) was an American fighter aircraft prototype built by Loening Aeronautical Engineering.

Development

The PA-1 was the first air-cooled, radial engine-powered aircraft. It was a single-seat biplane with N-struts, an all-wood fuselage, and wings with fabric coverings. The USAAS ordered two prototypes. The first one first flew in March 1922. It did not deliver the desired speed, so the construction of the second prototype was cancelled.

Specifications

Data from Angelucci, 1987. p. 292.^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 19 ft 9 in (6.01 m)
• Wingspan: 28 ft 0 in (8.53 m)
• Height: 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m)
• Wing area: 282 ft² (26.19 m²)
• Empty weight: 1,536 lb (697 kg)
• Gross weight: 2,463 lb (1,117 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-1454 (R-1), 350 hp ( kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 130 mph (209 km/h)
• Service ceiling: 19,200 ft (5,852 m)
• Rate of climb: 928 ft/min (4.72 m/s)

• 1 × .50 in (12.7 mm) machine gun
• 300 lb (140 kg) bombs

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Loening PA-1.

Notes

Bibliography

• Angelucci, Enzo (1987). The American Fighter from 1917 to the present. New York: Orion Books.