Raven 257
Wolfsberg Letecka Tovarna · Czech Republic · first flew 2000 · light aircraft
The Wolfsberg Raven 257 was a twin-boom, twin-piston utility transport aimed at the eight-to-ten-seat rough-field market once served by the Britten-Norman Islander.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Boxy short-field utility fuselage |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Twin-boom layout with high tailplane
- High straight wing, two piston engines
- Boxy short-field utility fuselage
Its unmistakable feature is the twin-boom tail with a high connecting tailplane behind a stubby central pod. A high straight wing carries the two piston nacelles above the short cabin.
Specifications
- The Raven 257 has a length of 11.28 m (37 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15.4 m (51 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 268 km/h (167 mph).
- Typical crew: 1 or 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Conceived by Alec Clark of Wolfsberg Aircraft in the mid-1990s, the Raven's prototype was built by Czech partners including Evektor-Aerotechnik and Letov, first flying on 28 July 2000. It used two Continental IO-550 piston engines and a rugged twin-boom configuration for easy loading. Funding shortfalls halted the programme in the mid-2000s.
Variants
Only the prototype Raven 257 was completed, and related concepts such as the Corvus were studied but not built. No production or engine variants reached the market. The design remained a single demonstrator.
Where you'll see it
The Raven never entered service and had no UK operators, though it was explicitly pitched against the British Islander that dominated its intended niche. It survives only as an unsuccessful but interesting utility-aircraft attempt.
Related aircraft
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