Photograph:
Luton LA-4 Minor VH-RFT (c/n V.1) at Berwick, VIC in 1974 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United Kingdom
Description:
Single-seat light sporting aircraft
Power Plant:
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 7.62 m (25 ft)
- Length: 6.33 m (20 ft 9 in)
- Height: 2 m (6 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 11.61 m² (125 sq ft)
- Max speed: 137 km/h (85 mph)
- Cruising speed: 121 km/h (75 mph)
- Stalling speed: 45 km/h (28 mph)
- Initial rate of climb: 137 m/min (450 ft/min)
- Range: 290 km (180 miles)
- Take-off run: 76 m (250 ft)
- Landing run: 37 m (120 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 28 litres (6 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 204 kg (450 lb)
- Loaded weight: 340 kg (750 lb)
- Baggage capacity: 14 kg (30 lb)
History:
The Luton LA-4 Minor single-seat, ultralight aircraft was designed by Luton Aircraft in the United Kingdom in 1936. The prototype was flown in that year fitted with a 26kw (35 hp) Anzani engine. Subsequently it was modified to make the design more suitable for amateur construction, and a number were built with that engine or the 3 -kw (40 hp) ABC Scorpion.
The Minor had a two-piece wooden two-spar wing of 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) chord, attached to a tubular steel pylon on the fuselage. The wings were divided for ease of building, transport and storage. The leading-edge was plywood covered, with the remainder of the wing being fabric covered. The fuselage was a rectangular all-wood structure. The sides and bottom were plywood covered, while the top decking behind the cockpit was fabric covered. The undercarriage incorporated rubber disc shock absorbers for the main legs and optional brakes. The tailwheel was fully castoring. Following World War II the type was redesigned as the LA-4a, and plans and components were marketed by Phoenix Aircraft for the amateur to build the Minor fitted with an Aeronca JAP J-99 engine.
A number of Minors have been built in Australasia, and most of these have been fitted with the JAP J-99 engine. Those completed included VH-AYP (c/n RM.2), VH-RFT (c/n V.1), VH-RPH (c/n V.3), VH-SJN (c/n Q.2), VH-HEP (c/n V.85), VH-HMA (c/n N215), VH-LUT (c/n N40) and VH-ULL (c/n V.5), this aircraft being registered to its builder at Croydon, VIC on 11 December 1969. A couple of others are known to have been built in the late 1930s and made flights but were never officially registered. Registration VH-UNC (c/n N.40) was allotted to one built by N Cameron of Macquarie Fields, NSW but it is not known to have been completed.
In New Zealand at least two have been completed, one being ZK-CLL (c/n 1153) flown for the first time in 1974 with an Aeronca JAP engine removed from an Aeronca 100 in Fiji which up to that stage had not been restored. It was built by Kip Netherclift and registered on 18 September 1974. It had a couple of owners over the years and has operated from Rangiora. At some stage the engine was replaced by a two-cylinder 45 kw (60 hp) Franklin unit and in later years it was fitted wth a Lycoming 145 unit.
A second Minor became ZK-FSU (c/n AACA713/PAL1101 – ex G-APVI) which was imported from the United Kingdom and was registered in February 1989. The registration was cancelled on 31 August 1999. It was placed back on the register in November 2003 and survives.