Photograph:
Stolp SA-300 Starduster TOO N2361 at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA in 2007 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Two-seat sport biplane
Power Plant:
One 134 kw (180 hp) Lycoming O-360 four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 7.31 m (24 ft)
- Length: 6.3 m (20 ft 7 in)
- Wing area: 15.32 m² (165 sq ft)
- Max speed: 290 km/h (180 mph)
- Cruising speed: 225 km/h (140 mph)
- Stalling speed: 89 km/h (55 mph)
- Initial rate of climb: 610 m/min (2,000 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 3,810 m (12,500 ft)
- Take-off run: 366 m (1,200 ft)
- Landing run: 549 m (1,800 ft)
- Range: 183 m (600 miles)
- Fuel capacity: 170 litres (37.4 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 454 kg (1,000 lb)
- Loaded weight: 900 kg (1,985 lb)
History:
The Starduster TOO was designed by Louis Stolp and George Adams for cross-country flying with an open cockpit. It has been marketed by the Stolp Starduster Corp of Oroville, California, as an open sports plane for the amateur constructor. The prototype was first flown in November 1957 and was powered by a 194 kw (260 hp) Lycoming IO-540-D4B5 engine. Seating two, it was not aimed at the aerobatic market but in any event had a fuselage built of 4130 steel tube with metal covering. It had no machined fittings and was designed to be simple to construct. The wings had spruce spars and birch plywood ribs.
The aircraft was designed to +6 / -6 G limits and more than 1,000 examples have been completed. The Company was set up to market plans, components and basic materials. Engines ranging from 93 kw (125 hp) to 280 kw (375 hp) could be installed but usually units in the 134 kw (180 hp) to 149 kw (200 hp) range have been fitted.
First of the type completed and registered in this region was VH-SDD (c/n SA300-75R1) registered to its owner / builder at Lake Haven in New South Wales on 15 January 2007.