DA-2
Role Civil utility aircraft
Manufacturer Homebuilt
Designer Leeon D. Davis
First flight 21 May 1966
Primary user Private pilot owners
Number built ca. 45 by 1985
Davis DA-2 at Airventure 2008.
Davis DA-2A

The Davis DA-2 is a light aircraft designed in the United States in the 1960s and was marketed for homebuilding.[1] While it is a low-wing monoplane of largely conventional design with fixed tricycle undercarriage, the DA-2 is given a distinctive appearance by its slab-like fuselage construction and its V-tail.[2] The pilot and a single passenger sit side-by-side. Construction of the aircraft is sheet aluminum throughout, with the sole compound curves formed a fiberglass cowling and fairings.[3]

The prototype made its first flight on May 21, 1966, and was exhibited at that year's Experimental Aircraft Association annual fly-in, where it won awards for "most outstanding design" and "most popular aircraft".[4]

A major design consideration was ease of assembly for a first time home aircraft builder. Examples of this include: few curved components, a V-tail is one less control surface to build, and each wing is made from two sheets of aluminum with no trimming involved.[5]

The DA-3 was a single DA-2 enlarged to accommodate four people. Work proceeded through 1973-74, but the aircraft was never completed.

Plans have been intermittently available over the years. They are as of August 2019, available from D2 Aircraft.

Operational history

Examples of the DA-2 have been completed in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom and are currently (2015) actively flying in those countries.

Variants

  • 1979 Davis DA-2B
    1979 Davis DA-2B
    DA-2 -- Continental A-65 powered
  • DA-2A—Continental O-200A powered
  • DA-2B—3 inch lower roof line[5]
  • DA-3
  • DA-Bandit-Corvair powered

Specifications (typical DA-2)

Data from Popular Mechanics August 1973

General characteristics

  • Crew: One pilot
  • Capacity: 1 passenger
  • Length: 17 ft 10 in (5.44 m)
  • Wingspan: 19 ft 3 in (5.86 m)
  • Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
  • Wing area: 83 sq ft (7.7 m2)
  • Empty weight: 610 lb (277 kg)
  • Gross weight: 1,125 lb (510 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Continental A65 horizontally-opposed four-cylinder piston engine , 65 hp (49 kW)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 120 mph (193 km/h, 100 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 110 mph (177 km/h, 96 kn)
  • Range: 450 mi (725 km, 390 nmi)

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Barnett Flight International 22 August 1977, pp. 534–535
  2. ↑ Weeghman, Richard B. (October 1966). "Rockford '66". Flying. Vol. 79, no. 4. pp. 52–53.
  3. ↑ Air Progress Sport Aircraft: 41. Winter 1969. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ↑ Taylor 1967, p. 247
  5. 1 2 Davisson, Budd (December 2017). "cubic Efficiency". Sport Aviation.
Sources

Builder Group

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