Windstar YF-80

The Windstar YF-80 is an American single seat homebuilt replica of the Lockheed F-80.[1]

YF-80
Role Homebuilt aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Windstar

Design and development
A Lockheed F-80, which the YF-80 fuselage is modeled after

The YF-80 is a two-thirds scale replica of a Lockheed F-80 or T-33. The aircraft is a composite construction, single engine, low wing design with retractable tricycle landing gear. The tip tanks are removable for aerobatic flight.[2] The aircraft is powered by a Chevy 350 V-8 turbocharged engine driving a turbine thrust section. The thrust section is driven by belts with high gear ratios to drive the turbine closer to the rotational speed it was originally designed for.[3]

The aircraft project was intended to showcase the Davis engine technology with a static prototype displayed in 1977. Burt Rutan was approached to build the composite fuselage, but the US$240,000 cost estimate was declined. Davis attempted to produce a production prototype fuselage for US$80,000. By 1987 the project was not complete, resulting in a court case between investors. The prototype was re-engined with a Turbomeca Marboré II turbine engine as the Stargate YT-33.[4]

Variants
Stargate YT-33 (MT-33)
Turbine powered prototype[5]

Specifications (YF-80)

Data from Jane's all the world's aircraft, 1978-79[6]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 17 ft 3 in (5.26 m)
  • Wingspan: 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
  • Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
  • Empty weight: 899 lb (408 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 1,301 lb (590 kg) with internal fuel only
  • Fuel capacity: 132.5 liters (35 US gallons)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Davis Cold Jet hybrid piston turbine, 220 lbf (0.98 kN) thrust @ 75% power

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 261 kn (300 mph, 483 km/h)
  • Stall speed: 70 kn (80 mph, 129 km/h) with flaps down
  • Range: 425 nmi (490 mi, 788 km) with internal fuel only
  • Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
  • g limits: +6/-3
  • Rate of climb: 2,600 ft/min (13 m/s) with internal fuel only

References
  1. Garrison, Peter (November 1977). "Homebuilder Heaven". Flying Magazine. New York, NY: Ziff-Davis Publishing Co. pp. 72–74, 133. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  2. Gallagher, Sheldon M. & Levy, Howard (January 1978). "New homebuilts : Classy looks with a dash of the old days". Popular Mechanics. New York, NY: The Hearst Corporation. pp. 54–56, 116. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  3. Flight International. 22 August 1977. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. F. Marc de Piolenc & George E. Wright Jr. Ducted Fan Design, Volume 1 (Revised). p. 92.
  5. "Stargate MT33". Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  6. Taylor, John W R (1978). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1978-79. London: Jane's Yearbooks. p. 552. ISBN 0-35-400572-3.
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