Photograph:
Menestrel HN-700 ZK-TBS (c/n 209) under construction in New Zealand (NZ CIVAIR)
Country of origin:
France
Description:
Two-seat light sporting monoplane
Power Plant:
One 60 kw (80 hp) Limbach L-2000 four-cylinder liquid-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)
- Length: 5.3 m (17 ft 5 in)
- Height: 1.47 m (4 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 9.8 m² (105.5 sq ft)
- Cruising speed: 187 km/h (116 mph)
- Stalling speed: 80 km/h (50 mph)
- Rate of climb at sea level: 390 m/min (1,280 ft/min)
- Range: 1,000 km (621 miles)
- Empty weight: 282 kg (622 lb)
- Loaded weight: 500 kg (1,102 lb )
History:
The Menestrel family of light sporting aircraft was designed by Henry Nicollier in France as a low-wing, single-engine, light aircraft for amateur construction. This family of aircraft included both single-seat and two-seat variants. The first aircraft flew for the first time on 25 January 1962 and was a single-seater, being followed by the Super Menestrel in 1985, and a two-seater variant in 1989. All variants are of wood frame with fabric covering. The wing is built around a single spar and has constant chord to mid-span, with semi-elliptical outer panels. There are no flaps on the single-seat models and they are an option on the two-seat variant. The fin and rudder are curved, the rudder having a horn balance. The horizontal stabiliser is mounted on the top of the rear fuselage.
The fuselage is a simple curved section, with a curved decking aft of the cockpit. The first variant had an open cockpit, but all later models have flown with an acrylic canopy. Most are built with a tailwheel undercarriage and have Vespa Motor Scooter wheels and motor-bike disc brakes.
Models available have included the HN-333 single-seater with VW engines ranging from 22 to 37 kw (30 to 50 hp) and with a 7.0 m (23 ft) wingspan. The HN-434 Super Menestrel was a single-seater with a larger fuel tank and had a 1.6-litre VW engine, power varying from 26 to 49 kw (35 to 65 hp) depending on the variant chosen. The HN-700 known as the Menestrel II was a two-seater with increased wingspan and was fitted, usually, with a 60 kw (80 hp) Limbach L-2000 engine. The HN-701 Menestrel II was similar to the HN-700 but with a 65 kw (87 hp) Limbach L-2400 engine. Engines such as the Subaru EA-81 are known to have been installed.
An example built in the United Kingdom has been fitted with a Jabiru 2200A engine. An example of the HN-700 has been built in New Zealand by Steven Chilcott of Auckland, being fitted with a Revmaster R.23 engine of 62 kw (83 hp), this aircraft becoming ZK-TBS (c/n 209) on 7 July 2015.