Stephens Akro
Stephens Aircraft · United States · first flew 1967 · light aircraft
The Stephens Akro is a single-engine American aerobatic monoplane designed for competition. It was the first US design guided by the Aresti Catalog of manoeuvres.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 5.82 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Cantilever mid-wing monoplane with a one-piece wooden wing
- Rearward-sliding bubble canopy over a single seat
- Fixed conventional undercarriage with glass-fibre wheel fairings on sprung steel legs
Look for a tiny mid-wing aerobatic monoplane with a bubble canopy, a tailplane mounted at the top of the fuselage and fixed tailwheel gear.
Specifications
- The Stephens Akro has a length of 5.82 m (19 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 7.47 m (25 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 274 km/h (170 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Model A was begun in July 1966 for Margaret Ritchie and first flew on 27 July 1967. The Model B, with less tapered wings of greater area, first flew on 9 July 1969.
Variants
Developments include the Haigh Superstar, the Extra EA-230 and EA-300, and Leo Loudenslager's Akro Laser 200, which won seven US Championships and one World Championship between 1975 and 1982.
Where you'll see it
Amateur builders worked from plans of the Model A or B, and the 180 hp Lycoming remained the most popular engine. The structure is stressed to +12/-11 g.
Related aircraft
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