Photograph:
Protech PT-2 Sassy VH-OSP (c/n N-159) at Avalon, VIC in March 2009 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Two-seat light sport monoplane
Power Plant:
One 56 kw (75 hp) Revmaster four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 9.68 m (31 ft 9 in)
- Length: 5.33 m (17 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 12.72 m² (137 sq ft)
- Max speed: 169 km/h (105 mph)
- Cruising speed: 161 km/h (100 mph)
- Stalling speed: 47 km/h (29 mph)
- Rate of climb: 274 m/m (900 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 3,048 m (10,000 ft)
- Range at cruising speed, no reserves: 675 km (420 miles)
- Empty weight: 317 kg (700 lb)
- Loaded weight: 567 kg (1,250 lb)
History:
The Sassy was marketed by Protech Aircraft Inc in Houston, Texas, and was a simple-to-build two-seat side-by-side amateur built aircraft with STOL performance. The wings were pre-formed aluminium alloy ribs, spars and skins. The wingtips were fibreglass, as were the wing fillets, rear cabin fairing, and engine cowling. The flaperons are steel tube with aluminium covering. The fuselage was welded steel tube, as were the tail surfaces, covered in Ceconite. A non-retractable tailwheel undercarriage was fitted, and G limits were +6/-4. Fuel capacity was 53 litres (11.65 Imp gals), and the type became available in kit form. The wings could be folded for ease of storage.
The type could be completed as an ultralight, or homebuilt, and at one stage was to be produced, along with the Carlson Sparrow, at a facility at Rutherford, NSW by Lake Macquarie Aviation. First of the type in this region was ZK-PTS (c/n AACA/1089), first registered in Hastings, NZ in August 1990. It was followed by ZK-PTT (c/n AACA/433) and ZK-PTU (c/n AACA/431). Other examples in Australia include VH-LMZ (c/n N-165), VH-OSP (c/n N-159) and VH-PTF (c/n initially V124, later 1152). Examples registered under RAA regulations have included 28-0492 (c/n V129), 19-3067, 19-3418 and 19-3145 which is registered as a Lake Macquarie Aviation PT-2.