Photograph:
The prototype MA-1 during testing (Author’s collection)
Country of origin:
Australia
Description:
Two-seat airship
Power Plant:
Two 34 kw (45 hp) Chaparral G50B two-cylinder two-stroke air-cooled engines
Specifications:
- Length: 20.72 m (68 ft)
- Height: 9.14 m (30 ft)
- Width: 7.31 m (24 ft)
- Volume: 633.87 m³ (22,385 cub ft)
- Empty weight: 497 kg (1,095 lb)
- Max speed: 89 km/h (55 mph)
- Cruising speed: 70 km/h (44 mph)
- Cruising altitude: 305 m (1,000 ft)
- Max altitude: 1,067 m (3,500 ft)
- Range: 322 km (200 miles)
- Max load: 193 kg (425 lb)
- Max gross weight: 689 kg (1,520 lb)
History:
The MA-1 airship was designed by Mantainer Pty Ltd of Airport West, VIC, the project being initiated by Mr A Norton with assistance from Mr B Blake, an aeronautical engineer. After construction, the machine (registered VH-PSE² – c/n 01) made a number of test flights in 1978 at the Sports Aviation Soaring Centre at Tocumwal, NSW, and also near Sunbury, VIC. It made its first flight in the hands of Mr A G Norton, a chemical engineer and principal of the plastics company, Mantainer, holding at that time a British CAA pilot’s licence for hot air balloons.
The MA-1 was an experimental airship which was designed and built to US airworthiness standards, these same standards being adopted by the Australian Department of Civil Aviation. A number of flights were made at Penfield aerodrome at Sunbury. Two further flights were made by American pilot, Frank Ryder, the first of these being at 152 m (500 ft) for nine minutes; and a third flight was made of 15 minutes. A flight was made at 9.38 am on 8 July 1978 and on this occasion a circular flight of six minutes was made, an altitude of 91 m (300 ft) being attained, a landing being made back at the departure point, mail being carried on this occasion.
The gasbag was of neoprene-coated cotton and had a surface of 482 m² (5,184 sq ft), the weight of the envelope and its fittings being 229 kg (505 lb). During testing and later VH-PSE (c/n 1) was housed in a specially built hangar at Penbury. However, by September 1978 the project was running into problems with a lack of development capital and was offered for sale, eventually being sold in the United States, the completed airship being dismantled and shipped to Texas, USA.