Thatcher CX4

The Thatcher CX4 is an American-designed aircraft for amateur construction designed by David Thatcher of Pensacola, Florida and plans are supplied by Thatcher Aircraft, Inc.

CX4
Role Homebuilt aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Thatcher Aircraft, Inc.
Designer David Thatcher
First flight 2004
Status Plans and parts available (2016)
Number built 55 (4/2017)

Westberry Manufacturing supplies many parts and kits for the aircraft.[1]

Design and development

The CX4 is a low wing, single-seat, conventional landing gear equipped aircraft, designed to be simple to build and safe to fly. The name of the plane, CX4, is taken from an old radio show featuring Hop Harrigan, whose plane was called CX4.

The aircraft is all metal, 6061-T6 aluminium, except the cowling. The aluminum main gear legs are sourced from a Monnett Sonerai with hydraulic disc toe brakes. It has a heater and ventilation system for all season flying. The aircraft can be built with an optional 3 gal aux fuel tank. The CX4's standard specified powerplant is a Volkswagen air-cooled engine. The design load factor is 3.8 g, with an ultimate load of 5.7 g.[2]

The CX4 first flew in 2004. As of April, 2017, there were 55 flying CX4s in Australia, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States. The fleet had flown 3316.6 hours total.[3]

Specifications (Thatcher CX4)

Data from Sport Aviation March 2009

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Length: 18 ft 3 in (5.56 m)
  • Wingspan: 24 ft (7.3 m)
  • Height: 4 ft 8 in (1.42 m)
  • Wing area: 84 sq ft (7.8 m2)
  • Empty weight: 520 lb (236 kg)
  • Gross weight: 850 lb (386 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 10.5 gal (39.7L)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Volkswagen horizontally opposed, automotive conversion piston engine, 65 hp (48 kW)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

  • Cruise speed: 109 kn (125 mph, 201 km/h)
  • Stall speed: 35 kn (40 mph, 64 km/h)
  • Never exceed speed: 135 kn (155 mph, 249 km/h)
  • Service ceiling: 10,000 ft (3,000 m)
  • Rate of climb: 825 ft/min (4.19 m/s)

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References
  1. "Parts". thatchercx4.com. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  2. Thatcher CX4 (May 2012). "Specifications". Retrieved 10 May 2012.
  3. CX4 Community (16 May 2017). "Completed and Flying". Retrieved 16 May 2017.
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