Jurca MJ-53 Autan

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MJ-53 Autan
Role Homebuilt 2-seat touring aircraft
National origin France
Designer Marcel Jurca
First flight 1992
Number built 2

The Jurca MJ-53 Autan (named after a wind in Southern France) is a plans-built, low-wing, touring monoplane designed in France by Marcel Jurca.

Development[edit]

Jurca was initially reluctant to design a side-by-side configuration aircraft as he preferred single-seat or tandem-seat 'fighters', but he was convinced to do it by friends and potential customers.[1]

The Autan is a development of the wooden-construction Jurca MJ-5 Sirocco, with a new trapezoidal wing based on the Jurca MJ-7 Gnatsum, but with flaps. The fuselage is redesigned to accommodate a wider cabin, and the result is a shoulder width of 118 cm (3.87 ft), unusually spacious for this class of aircraft. The basic design is for a fixed undercarriage, but it allows for electrically or hydraulically powered retractable gear. For reasons of weight, aerobatics are preferably done only with the fixed gear.[1]

Two prototypes have been built, both with electrically-powered retractable landing gear, and with Lycoming O-360 180 hp (134 kW) engines. They made their first flights in 1992.[2]

In 1998 Jurca started studying a four-seat development, the MJ-58, but he was busy with developing the Jurca MJ-70 Gnatsum, and nothing came of it.[1]

Specifications (MJ-53 Autan)[edit]

Data from Avions Marcel Jurca[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Capacity: one passenger
  • Length: 6.7 m (22 ft 0 in)
  • Wingspan: 7.6 m (24 ft 11 in)
  • Width: 1.18 m (3 ft 10 in)
  • Wing area: 12.21 m2 (131.4 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 690 kg (1,521 lb)
  • Gross weight: 960 kg (2,116 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 240 litres (53 imp gal; 63 US gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-360 , 120 to 150 kW (160 to 200 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

  • Cruise speed: 240 km/h (150 mph, 130 kn)
  • Stall speed: 100 km/h (62 mph, 54 kn)
  • Never exceed speed: 350 km/h (220 mph, 190 kn)
  • Range: 1,400 km (870 mi, 760 nmi)
  • g limits: +6/-4
  • Rate of climb: 6.1 m/s (1,200 ft/min)
  • Wing loading: 79 kg/m2 (16 lb/sq ft)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Les Avions Marcel Jurca 1956-2016 (PDF in French)". Avions Marcel Jurca. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  2. ^ "Walter Van Tilborg Collection No 11907". 1000 Aircraft Photos. Retrieved 23 October 2019.

External links[edit]