Gwinn Aircar
Gwinn Aircar Company · United States · first flew 1937 · light aircraft
The Gwinn Aircar was a single-engined biplane with a cabin for two, designed in the United States as a safe and simple private aircraft. It had no rudder and an early tricycle undercarriage.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Rudderless tail: a fin blended into a fuselage that narrows to a vertical knife edge |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Rudderless tail: a fin blended into a fuselage that narrows to a vertical knife edge
- Tricycle undercarriage with a tall faired nose leg and spats on all three wheels
- Single-bay biplane with parallel-chord, strongly staggered wings and N-shaped interplane struts
The rudderless tail, deep fuselage that bulges behind a small radial engine, and spatted tricycle undercarriage give it an unusual appearance. Pilot and passenger sit side by side under glazing that extends behind the wing trailing edge.
Specifications
- The Gwinn Aircar has a length of 4.95 m (16 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 7.32 m (24 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 190 km/h (118 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was the only product of the company set up by Joseph M. Gwinn Jr, who also designed it. The aircraft was meant to neither stall nor spin and used a simplified control system. It first flew in early 1937 with a 95 hp Pobjoy Niagara II radial, and two were built.
Variants
There was a single basic design, of which two were built. The first was fitted with a 95 hp Pobjoy Niagara II engine.
Where you'll see it
Development was abandoned after a crash in 1938, and the type never entered production.
Related aircraft
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