Jurca Gnatsum

The Jurca Gnatsum is a French homebuilt near scale replica aircraft based on the North American P-51 Mustang.[1]

Jurca MJ-7 Gnatsum
Role Homebuilt near scale replica warbird
National origin France
Designer Marcel Jurca
First flight 1969
Number built 25+
Variants Falconar SAL Mustang

Design & Development

The Gnatsum (Mustang spelled backwards) is one of many wooden homebuilt designs from Romanian designer Marcel Jurca. Jurca, a Henschel Hs 129 pilot in World War II, expanded his warbird replica designs to include the Allied North American P-51 Mustang fighter.[2]

The Gnatsum is a low-wing, cantilever monoplane with an enclosed single-seat cockpit and manually retractable tailwheel landing gear based on that of the Jurca Sirocco.[3] Suitable for a number of engines around 200 hp (149 kW), plans for the Gnatsum are available as the 2/3 scale MJ-7 and the 3/4 scale MJ-77, as well as the MJ-70 full-size representation. All versions are constructed from wood with fabric covering, and manufacturing rights to the kit aircraft were acquired by Falconar Avia.[4] Plans for the MJ-77 are available from Avions Marcel Jurca.[5]

Some of the engines suitable for the MJ-7 Gnatsum series are:-

Variants
MJ-7
2/3 scale variant
MJ-7S Solo
Single-seat advanced trainer version of MJ-7, the under-belly scoop inherited from the Mustang design was removed.
MJ-77
3/4 scale Mustang variant that requires an engine of 250 to 600 hp (186 to 447 kW).[6][7]
MJ-70
Full-scale variant (still under development in 2001 when Jurca died - never completed)

Specifications (Jurca MJ-77 Gnatsum)

Data from [8]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1 Pilot
  • Capacity: 1 (small) passenger
  • Length: 6.53 m (21 ft 5 in)
  • Wingspan: 8.43 m (27 ft 8 in)
  • Wing area: 13.5 m2 (145 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 998 kg (2,200 lb)
  • Gross weight: 1,297 kg (2,860 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 50 U.S. gallons (190 L; 42 imp gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Geschwender , 260 kW (350 hp)
  • Propellers: 4-bladed

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 465 km/h (289 mph, 251 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 370 km/h (230 mph, 200 kn)
  • Stall speed: 105 km/h (65 mph, 56 kn)
  • Range: 800 km (500 mi, 430 nmi)
  • Rate of climb: 7.6 m/s (1,500 ft/min)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References
  1. "All these planes you can build from plans". Popular Science: 99. June 1970.
  2. Nick Stasinos (February 1972). "Marcel's Mini Fighters". Plane & Pilot.
  3. Sport Aviation: 35. August 1965. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. Air Trails: 59. Summer 1971. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. "Ordering Jurca Plans". Avions Marcel Jurca. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  6. Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 94. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  7. Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 100. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN 1368-485X
  8. "Jurca M.J-77 Mustang (75%)". Pilotfriend.com. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
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