Photograph:
Grega GN-1 Air Camper VH-EIG (c/n Q21) at Mangalore, VIC in April 1987 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Light sport aircraft
Power Plant:
One 48 kw (65 hp) Continental A65-8 four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 8.84 m (29 ft)
- Length: 5.51 m (18 ft 1 in)
- Height: 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in)
- Wing area: 13.47 m² (145 sq ft)
- Max speed at sea level: 185 km/h (115 mph)
- Max cruising speed at sea level: 145 km/h (90 mph)
- Stalling speed: 40 km/h (25 mph)
- Max rate of climb at sea level: 152 m/min (500 ft/min)
- Range with max fuel: 576 km (358 miles)
- Service ceiling: 3,353 m (11,000 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 49 litres (10.8 Imp gals)
- Take-off run: 122 m (400 ft)
- Landing run: 91 m (300 ft)
- Empty weight: 295 kg (650 lb)
- Loaded weight: 499 kg (1,100 lb)
History:
The Grega GN-1 Air Camper was a modernised variant of the Pietenpol Air Camper. It first appeared in the 1950s and could be built with a choice of wood or steel tube fuselage construction. It was usually fitted with a more modern 48 kw (65 hp) Continental A658 engine, although engines up to 75 kw (100 hp) could be installed.
The aircraft was designed by John W Grega and was introduced to the market in 1954, plans being available from the designer in Bedford, Ohio. More than 3,000 sets of plans are known to have been supplied and more than 500 examples have been completed.
A number of examples of the GN-1 have been built and registered in Australia, including VH-KIL (c/n Q22), VH-EIG (c/n Q21), VH-NHS (c/n N143), VH-SEJ (c/n SE04) and VH-ARW (c/n 320-34). A further example became VH-WKA (c/n 1805) in February 2016. Others are known to have been under construction. A few have been registered under Recreational Aviation Australia (RAA) Regulations, including 19-3128 (c/n 1491).
The GN-1 had a slightly higher performance than its forebear, having a maximum speed at sea level of 185 km/h (115 mph), a maximum cruising speed at sea level of 145 km/h (90 mph) and a range with maximum fuel of 576 km (358 miles).