Photograph:
Cassutt IIIM VH-MXA (c/n N77) at Temora, NSW in April 2012 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Single-seat racing monoplane
Power Plant:
One 75 kw (100 hp) Continental O-200-A four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 4.54 m (14 ft 11 in)
- Length: 4.88 m (16 ft)
- Height: 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in)
- Wing area: 6.13 m² (66 sq ft)
- Max speed: 306 km/h (190 mph)
- Cruising speed: 241 km/h (150 mph)
- Stalling speed: 113 km/h (70 mph)
- Initial rate of climb: 792 m/min (2,600 ft/min)
- Range: 322 km (200 miles)
- Empty weight: 234 kg (516 lb)
- Loaded weight: 331 kg (730 lb)
History:
In 1954 Tom Cassutt, an airline pilot in the United States, designed and built a small single-seat racing aircraft known as the Cassutt I for his own use, winning the 1958 National Air Racing Championships. In 1959 he completed plans for a smaller but similar aircraft known as the Cassutt Special II, and commenced to market plans for both of his designs. Subsequently the Cassutt III was released after further development. Examples were built in the United Kingdom by Airmark Ltd and were known as Airmark/Cassutt IIIM.
The Cassutt III airframe was basically a welded steel tube structure, the fin being built integral with the fuselage. Similarly, the full-span ailerons, tailplane, rudder and elevators were made of welded steel tube with fabric covering. The cockpit area was skinned with aluminium alloy sheet and a sheet-metal spine decking rounded off the sharp apex of the fuselage behind the cockpit. The wing, which incorporated 18 built-up spruce ribs, was constructed of constant chord and had a laminated main spar, and a solid leading-edge and rear spar. It was covered with plywood skin. The aircraft was designed to a load factor of +12G/- 12G. The undercarriage was a spring steel main gear and steerable tailwheel. Normally a 40.5 litre (8.9 Imp gal) fuel tank was located behind the firewall.
A number of Cassutt IIIs have been built in Australasia, most being fitted with the 75 kw (100 hp) Rolls Royce/Continental four-cylinder engine, and these have included VH-ITI (c/n N79), VH-ANN (c/n V39), VH-ICI (c/n Q7), VH-MXA (c/n N77), VH-LLJ (c/n N130) and ZK-DHJ (c/n AACA/161) in New Zealand.