Turner T-40

The Turner T-40 is a wooden, single-seat, homebuilt aircraft that was designed by Eugene L. "Gene" Turner, first flying on 3 April 1961 (his birthday).[1]

T-40
Role Homebuilt aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Turner Aircraft, Inc.
Designer Gene Turner
First flight 3 April 1961
Introduction 1961
Status Plans available

Design and development

The T-40 was designed to be a simple to build, all wood aircraft with folding wings. The prototype was modified several times from a single-seat aircraft to a two-place. It also was modified with a bubble canopy and for one flight only, canard control surfaces.[2]

The T-40 has conventional landing gear. The canopy on the original T-40 single seat version was modeled using the NACA X-2 canopy as a guide.[3] The majority of the wood used for structural components is Douglas fir. The wing and fuselage skins are plywood. The fuel tank is made of fiberglass. For control an all flying tail is used with anti-servo tabs. The dual spar, laminar flow wings can be folded for storage.[4]

Operational history

The prototype T-40, named "Ophelia Bumps",[5] won the 1961 EAA Outstanding Design Award, second place in the 1962 EAA Design Competition, the Lockheed-Marietta Georgia Award for Outstanding Workmanship, the EAA Outstanding Canopy Design Trophy[3] The prototype is now on display at the Saxon Aerospace Museum in Boron, California.[6]

Variants
Turner T-40
Original version
Turner T-40A
A two seat variant with conventional landing gear.[7]
Turner T-40B
A two seat variant with tricycle landing gear.[8]
Super" Turner T-40AS
Bubble canopy 125hp [9]
Turner T-77
T-40 with bubble canopy and swept tail.

Specifications (T-40)

Data from Sport Aviation

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 19 ft 5 in (5.92 m)
  • Wingspan: 22 ft 3 in (6.78 m)
  • Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
  • Wing area: 78 sq ft (7.2 m2)
  • Aspect ratio: 6.35
  • Airfoil: NACA 65-215
  • Gross weight: 850 lb (386 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 9.5 U.S. gallons (36 L; 7.9 imp gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Continental A65 horizontally opposed piston aircraft engine, 65 hp (48 kW)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed Beech-Roby controllable-pitch propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 120 kn (140 mph, 230 km/h)
  • Cruise speed: 110 kn (130 mph, 210 km/h)

References
  1. "All these planes you can build from plans". Popular Science: 99. June 1970.
  2. "Turner T-40 development". Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  3. "Building the Turner T-40". Sport Aviation. July 1965.
  4. "Gene Turner's Wooden Beauty". Sport Aviation. January 1962.
  5. Leo J Kohn (December 1961). Flying: 35. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. "Saxon Aerospace Museum Exhibits". Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  7. "Great Sport Planes that Make Great Projects". Popular Science: 72. February 1975.
  8. Plane and Pilot: 1978 Aircraft Directory, page 159. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. ISBN 0-918312-00-0
  9. "Turner T-40". Retrieved 5 March 2012.
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