Thurston TA16 Trojan
Thurston (homebuilt) · United States · first flew 1975 · light aircraft
The Thurston TA16 Trojan was a light amphibious aircraft developed in the United States in the 1970s for homebuilding. It was a four-seat all-metal flying boat with a shoulder-mounted cantilever wing and a T-tail.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.28 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Shoulder-mounted cantilever wing
- Single engine on a tall pylon above the wings, driving a tractor propeller
- T-tail on a four-seat flying-boat hull with retractable tricycle undercarriage
The engine is mounted tractor-fashion on a tall pylon above the wings. The shoulder-mounted wing, T-tail and retractable tricycle undercarriage mark it out as an amphibian.
Specifications
- The Thurston TA16 Trojan has a length of 8.28 m (27 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.28 m (37 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 282 km/h (175 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Trojan first flew in 1975. Sales of plans to homebuilders were suspended after 32 sets had been sold while initial efforts were made to certificate the design.
Variants
The design was also promoted as the Seafire for certification. A prototype Seafire flew on 10 December 1982, and refinements made during the certification trials were added to the homebuilders plans.
Where you'll see it
Efforts to certificate the design for series production under the name Seafire were made in the 1980s and again in the early 2000s. These efforts did not lead to production, and the aircraft was built by amateurs.
Related aircraft
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.