Photograph:
Pazmany PL-1 ZK-PAZ (c/n AACA/175) at Mt Hutt, New Zealand in 1981 (Keith Morris – NZCIVAIR)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Two-seat light sport monoplane
Power Plant:
One 71 kw (95 hp) Continental C90-12F four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 8.53 m (28 ft)
- Length: 5.77 m (18 ft 11 in)
- Height: 2.31 m (7 ft 7 in)
- Wing area: 10.77 m² (116 sq ft)
- Max speed at sea level: 193 km/h (120 mph)
- Max cruising speed at sea level: 185 km/h (115 mph)
- Economical cruising speed: 169 km/h (105 mph)
- Landing speed 37 degrees flap: 90 km/h (56 mph)
- Stalling speed at sea level 37 degrees flap: 82 km/h (51 mph)
- Rate of climb: 305 m/min (1,000 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 5,486 m (18,000 ft)
- Range with max fuel: 965 km (600 miles)
- Take-off run 15 deg flap: 168 m (550 ft)
- Landing run: 54 m (175 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 95 litres (21 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 363 kg (800 lb)
- Loaded weight: 602 kg (1,326 lb)
History:
The Pazmany PL-1, known as the Laminar for its laminar flow wing, was designed by Ladislao Pazmany for the home-built aircraft market, the prototype flying for the first time on 23 March 1962. It was a cantilever low-wing monoplane with a fixed tricycle undercarriage, seating for two and usually powered by a 71 kw (95 hp) Continental C-90 engine.
Plans for the type were obtained by Aerospace Industrial Development Corp and that company built 58, known as the PL-1B, for the Republic of China Air Force (Chinese Nationalist). These were fitted with a 112 kw (150 hp) Lycoming O-320 engine. Construction of the Chinese-built PL-1B began in June 1968 at the Aeronautical Research Laboratory at Taichung and the aircraft was completed in 100 days, flying for the first time on 26 October 1968, being presented to President Chiang Kai-Shek four days later. Development of the type proceeded to the PL-2.
The design was conceived by a poll of members of the San Diego, California, Chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association as a club project. The prototype was built by Keith Fowler and John Green who spent 3½ years of spare time building the aircraft, fitting a second-hand surplus 104 kw (140 hp) Lycoming O-290-G engine.
The fuselage was all-metal semi-monocoque with single-curvature or flat skins. The tail unit was also all-metal, with a one-piece horizontal surface with anti-servo tab which also served as a trim tab. The undercarriage was a non-retractable tricycle with oleo pneumatic shock absorbers. Seating was for two, side-by-side, under a rearward sliding transparent canopy. It had dual controls and baggage space behind the seats for 18 kg (40 lb). The aircraft was stressed for aerobatics with a plus 9 and minus 4½ ultimate load factor at full gross weight. Fuel was carried in two fibreglass wingtip tanks.
An example was built in New Zealand and became ZK-PAZ (c/n AACA/175). This machine was built by Bruce Fraser of Christchurch, NZ, was first registered on 8 December 1977 and was fitted with a 86 kw (115 hp) Lycoming O-235 engine. It was sold to J H McCoy of Auckland in 1982, then to C A Wilkie of Blenheim in 1983, M N Brenstrum of Dargaville in 1985, and T J and D C Hill of Arrowtown in 1994. The latter owners eventually moved to Australia in 1998, shipping the aircraft to Queensland where, in October of that year, it became VH-TEZ in Marcoola.