Warwick W-3 Bantam

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W-3 Bantam
Role Homebuilt aircraft
National origin United States
Designer Bill Warwick
First flight June 1966
Introduction 1966

The W-3 Bantam is a simple single place, homebuilt aircraft design from Bill Warwick of Torrance, California.[1]


Design[edit]

The W-3 is a single place tricycle gear, low wing aircraft with an open cockpit or bubble canopy. Construction is all metal with a welded-steel-tube forward fuselage with attachment points for the wing spars and engine mount. The fuselage uses non-compound curves and features a square vertical stabilizer[2]

Operational history[edit]

The prototype was featured on the cover of the May 1972 issue of Popular Mechanics.[3]

Specifications (W-3 Bantam)[edit]

Data from Plane and Pilot

General characteristics

  • Length: 13 ft 9 in (4.19 m)
  • Wingspan: 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
  • Empty weight: 535 lb (243 kg)
  • Gross weight: 790 lb (358 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 11.5 U.S. gallons (44 L; 9.6 imp gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-145B Horizontally Opposed Piston

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 120 kn (140 mph, 230 km/h)
  • Cruise speed: 100 kn (115 mph, 185 km/h)
  • Stall speed: 45 kn (52 mph, 84 km/h)
  • Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Air Trails: 77. Winter 1971. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ "Plane and Pilot W-3 Bantam". Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  3. ^ Popular Mechanics. May 1972. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)