Photograph:
Questair Venture N353 at the EAA Convention at Oshkosh in Wisconsin, USA in July 2007 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Two-seat high-performance light sport monoplane
Power Plant:
One 209 kw (280 hp) Continental IO-550-G six-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 8.38 m (27 ft 5 in)
- Length: 4.97 m (16 ft 3 in)
- Height: 2.38 m (7 ft 8 in)
- Wing area: 6.75 m² (72.7 sq ft)
- Max speed: 491 km/h (305 mph)
- Cruising speed: 442 km/h (275 mph)
- Stalling speed: 113 km/h (70 mph)
- Rate of climb: 762 m/min (2,500 ft/min)
- Take-off run: 305 m (1,000 ft)
- Landing run: 488 m (1,600 ft)
- Range: 1,850 km (1,150 miles)
- Fuel capacity: 322 litres (71 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 562 kg (1,240 lb)
- Useful load: 345 kg (760 lb)
- Loaded weight: 907 kg (2,000 lb)
History:
The Venture and Spirit are co-produced light sporting aircraft available in kit form from Questair Inc, which was formed by Edward MacDonough in the United States, the Venture being designed by James Griswold, an engineer with Piper Aircraft. The idea was to produce a kit aircraft that was fast and was capable of cross-country operations in all weathers. The longitudinal flying qualities were tailored to provide the feel of a much larger aircraft through the use of an artificial-feel system which also incorporated a trim function. In reaching his design goals Mr MacDonough used some of the technology used in the Piper Malibu.
The aircraft was designed to seat two and have a low-wing, with luggage space to the rear. The aim was to produce the smallest possible streamlined airframe in order to give performance and range. It was of all-metal construction using pre-formed multi-curvature panels and was produced in two models, the Venture with a tricycle retractable undercarriage, and the Spirit, the same basic design with a fixed main undercarriage where only the nosewheel retracted.
The prototype Venture flew for the first time on 1 July 1987, the Spirit prototype flying in 1991 and having an optional third seat. Some 30 kits had been completed by 2001. The prototype was eventually placed on display at the EAA Air Venture Museum at Oshkosh in Wisconsin. Power plant was usually the 209 kw (280 hp) Continental IO-550-G but others have been used, including the 261 kw (350 hp) PMA 550-TTV engine fitted to N8057J. This latter aircraft set 12 FAI Class C.1b records, including a record of 646.6 km/h (401.79 mph) when flown from Chicago, Illinois to Boston, Massachusetts on 26 January 1993. Eventually marketing of the aircraft was taken over by Nu Venture, and the Venture Association was set up in California to assist constructors. Examples have appeared and raced at the Reno air Races in Nevada.
The first of the type seen in this region was Venture 20 VH-NYS (c/n 64 – ex N876V) registered on 21 June 2010 to Iwamas Nominees of Bacchus Marsh, VIC. However, this aircraft was substantially damaged in a landing accident at Bacchus Marsh on 17 April 2014. On this occasion, whilst landing, it flipped over due to the wet muddy airfield surface, coming to rest upside down, occasioning damage to the tail and left wing.