American Gyro AG-4 Crusader

The American Gyro AG-4 Crusader is a small twin engine aircraft. The aircraft was designed as the Shelton Flying Wing in 1933 by Thomas Miles Shelton.[1]

AG-4 Crusader
Role
National origin United States
Manufacturer American Gyro Company
Designer Thomas M. Shelton
First flight 1935
Introduction 1935

Design

The AG-4 was developed using wind tunnel tests. The American Gyro AG-4 Crusader is an aluminum skinned four place low-wing twin engine aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear, twin tail booms with individual rudders, and a teardrop shaped fuselage. The wing uses trailing edge flaps and 25 gallon fuel tanks are mounted in each wing root. Retractable landing gear were also tested on the model.[2]

Operational history

The prototype was painted a copper color with green leather seats. It was tested in 1935 at Denver Colorado.[3] The aircraft was funded from stock issued in the Crusader Aircraft Corporation, a parent of the American Gyro Company. The company folded in 1938 under securities fraud investigations before the Crusader could go into production[4]

Tootsietoy came out with a die-cast metal toy of the plane, No. 719 in its catalogue.[5] Hubley and Wyandotte also made toys based on the Shelton Flying Wing.

Variants
American Gyro AG-4 Crusader
American Gyro AG-6 Buccaneer
A six place variant design powered by Menasco engines[6]

Specifications (AG-4 Crusader)

Data from AAHS Journal

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Capacity: 3 passengers
  • Length: 21 ft 7 in (6.58 m)
  • Wingspan: 36 ft (11 m)
  • Height: 7 ft (2.1 m)
  • Wing area: 206 sq ft (19.1 m2)
  • Empty weight: 2,000 lb (907 kg)
  • Gross weight: 3,000 lb (1,361 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 50 gal
  • Powerplant: 2 × Menasco C4-S Inline four cylnder piston, 150 hp (110 kW) each
  • Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2013-10-10.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. AAHS Journal: 42. Spring 2004.CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  3. E Stanton Brown (August 1935). "The American Gyro Crusader". Popular Science.
  4. The Journal of Air Law, Volume 8. p. 71.
  5. http://www.tootsietoys.info/Tootsietoys-Aircraft.html
  6. Aerospace yearbook, Volume 18. Manufacturers Aircraft Association, Manufacturers Aircraft Association, Inc., New York, Aerospace Industries Association of America. p. 268.

Bibliography
  • Roca, Alexander Crusader: The Story of the Shelton Flying Wing, its Company, and its Creator Rare Birds Publishing; 1st edition (1989) ISBN 978-0962288609
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