Photograph:
Wag Aero Super Sport VH-JLH (c/n W125) Mangalore, VIC in April 1988 (the late Michael Madden)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Light sport monoplane
Power Plant:
One 101 kw (135 hp) Lycoming O-290 four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 10.91 m (35 ft 8 in)
- Length: 7.13 m (23 ft 4 in)
- Wing area: 15.88 m² (171 sq ft)
- Max speed: 209 km/h (130 mph)
- Max cruising speed: 201 km/h (125 mph)
- Stalling speed clean: 80 km/h (50 mph)
- Rate of climb: 244 m/min (800 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 4,511 m (14,800 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 148 litres (32 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 499 kg (1,080 lb)
- Payload: 508 kg (1,120 lb)
- Loaded weight: 998 kg (2,200 lb)
History:
The Sportsman was a light sporting aircraft produced in kit form by the Wag Aero Group at Lyons in Wisconsin, USA. Basically it was a copy of the successful Piper PA-14 Cruiser of the 1950s with room for four persons with baggage and fuel. Power was provided by a Lycoming O-290 engine, and construction was of steel tube with fabric covering.
A small number of kits had been supplied to builders in this region, first of the type completed in Australia being a Sportsman 2 + 2 VH-YLW (c/n 2080) registered to its builder in North Adelaide in March 2008, followed by the Super Sport VH-JLH (c/n W125) on 28 February 1985.