Sawyer Skyjacker II
Ralph V. Sawyer · United States · first flew 1975 · light aircraft
The Sawyer Skyjacker II is a unique American homebuilt research aircraft with an ultra-low aspect ratio wing. It was designed and built by Ralph V. Sawyer in 1974.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Ultra-low aspect ratio wing of near-square planform blended into a broad fuselage |
| T — Tail | No tailplane |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Ultra-low aspect ratio wing of near-square planform blended into a broad fuselage
- Tall orange wingtip end plates in place of a conventional tail
- Single pusher propeller behind the aircraft
Look for a squat, almost square-planform wing and fuselage blended together, with tall orange end plates, a rear-mounted propeller and no conventional tail.
Specifications
- The Sawyer Skyjacker II has a length of 5.49 m (18 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 5.49 m (18 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 209 km/h (130 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Sawyer, a technician at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, was inspired by lifting-body research. He built the all-metal aircraft at Mojave, and it first flew on 3 July 1975.
Variants
Only one example was built. It was developed from the Sawyer Skyjacker I, and a larger four-seat twin-turboprop version was started but abandoned.
Where you'll see it
It made limited flights by Sawyer and his partner Mike Carmack and appeared on the April 1978 cover of Popular Science. After Sawyer's death it was donated to Mojave Air and Space Port in 2024, where it is on static display.
Related aircraft
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