# Angus Aquila

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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
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{{Infobox aircraft
| name                = Angus Aquila
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| image               = Image of the aircraft "Angus Aquila", c. 1931.jpeg
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| aircraft_type       = Single-seat monoplane
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| national_origin     = United Kingdom
| manufacturer        = Arthur Leighton Angus
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| designer            = Arthur Leighton Angus
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| number_built        = 1
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| first_flight        = 1931
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}}The '''Angus Aquila''' was a 1930s unique [British](/source/Great_Britain) single-seat [monoplane](/source/monoplane) designed and built by [Arthur Leighton Angus](/source/Arthur_Leighton_Angus), an Australian-born [engineer](/source/engineer) a passion for [aviation](/source/aviation) in the early [1930s](/source/1930s).  The airplane had a [low-wing](/source/low-wing) design with an [open cockpit](/source/Cockpit) that provided an unobstructed view of the surroundings. It was powered by a [Salmson AD.9](/source/British_Salmson_AD.9) [radial engine](/source/radial_engine) with 40 [hp](/source/Horsepower) (30 [kW](/source/kW)), which gave the airplane ample power to climb and maneuver. On 23 January 1931 the Angus Aquila was officially registered as ''G-ABIK'' and assigned the [Certificate of Registration](/source/Certificate_of_Registration) number 2995.<ref>[https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ABIK.pdf cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ABIK.pdf]</ref> Arthur Leighton Angus was listed as the constructor and [owner](/source/Ownership) of the airplane, which was based at [Hanworth Aerodrome](/source/London_Air_Park) in [Hanworth](/source/Hanworth), [Middlesex](/source/Middlesex). The Angus Aquila was designed to be lightweight and powerful, capable of high-speed flights at high altitudes. Its low-wing monoplane design provided excellent stability, and the open cockpit gave the pilot an unobstructed view of the surroundings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=all-aero |url=http://all-aero.com/index.php/component/content/article/44-planes-a-b-c/20997-angus-aquila |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=all-aero.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Aeroplane Monthly 1976-04 |url=https://aviadejavu.ru/Site/Arts/Art6608.htm |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=aviadejavu.ru}}</ref>

== Construction ==
The [wings](/source/Fixed-wing_aircraft) were of a quite conventional [wood](/source/wood)en construction and featured a [plywood](/source/plywood) skin running from the [leading edge](/source/leading_edge) to the leading edge spar, the use of the [RAF 34](/source/RAF_4) aerodynamic profile, which provided it with a very small [transverse velocity](/source/transverse_velocity). The wing was reinforced by wide [streamlined](/source/streamlined) [chords](/source/Chord_(aeronautics)) with inverted V-shaped braces. The [strut](/source/strut)s together with the wing could [swivel](/source/swivel) back to the sides of the [fuselage](/source/fuselage), turning around the point of the rear spar articulation. The [trailing edge](/source/trailing_edge) of the wing and [aileron](/source/aileron)s pivoted and released the fuselage in an unusual way: the trailing edge closer to the fuselage was pivoted down and the ailerons pivoted up using an articulating device.

As previously mentioned, the source of power in the aircraft was a [40 hp Salmson AD.9 radial engine](/source/British_Salmson_AD.9); the [cabover engine](/source/Cab_Over_Engine) was mounted on a structure consisting of a [frame](/source/Former) made of [steel pipe](/source/steel_pipe)s and a disk with a central [flange](/source/flange), which was the front part of the central fuselage structure. The engine thrust line was very low and only a few inches above the wing chord line and below the fuselage centerline. Undoubtedly this was done to place the line of action of the engine thrust as close as possible to the chords of the wing and [tail](/source/Empennage). This concept was successfully applied to aircraft such as the [Aeronca C.3](/source/Aeronca_C-3) and the later [SAC-1VW Stewart Headwind](/source/Stewart_Headwind), but this choice gave the Aquila an odd profile with a straight underline and a steep hump from the engine to the [cockpit](/source/cockpit). A 5.5 gallon (25 L) [fuel tank](/source/fuel_tank) was located at the front of the cockpit, with enough capacity for two hours of flight. The [weight of the empty aircraft](/source/Operating_empty_weight) with a full set of spare equipment and accessories was 488 pounds (221&nbsp;kg), the [weight with a full load](/source/Aircraft_gross_weight) - 700 pounds (317&nbsp;kg).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jackson |first=Aubrey Joseph |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SJi_wgEACAAJ |title=British Civil Aircraft Since 1919, by A.J. Jackson |date=1973 |publisher=Putnam |language=en}}</ref>

The [chassis](/source/chassis) [cushioning](/source/Package_cushioning) was provided entirely by [donut](/source/Doughnut)-shaped wheels with a [Goodyear](/source/Goodyear_Aerospace) [low-pressure](/source/Low-pressure_area) [tire](/source/tire); the wheels were mounted on divided [landing gear](/source/landing_gear), reinforced with struts extending from the fuselage and intersecting. The tail unit of the aircraft was the usual fabric-covered frame of welded pipes. Two small struts connected the base of the fixed [keel](/source/keel) to the [stabilizer](/source/Stabilizer_(aeronautics)).<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ASN53mOQmnwC&dq=%22English+Lightplane+has+many+novel+features%22&pg=PA17 |title=Flying Magazine |date=September 1931 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Angus Aquila |url=http://www.airwar.ru/enc/law1/aquila.html |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=www.airwar.ru}}</ref>

== The Crash ==
According to available sources, the Angus Aquila had only one flight, which took place on 21 March 1931 at [Hanworth Aerodrome](/source/London_Air_Park).<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6576654 |title=Type: Angus Aquila (G-ABIK). Location: Hanworth Aerodrome. Report No: C186. |date=March 1931 }}</ref> During the flight, the aircraft took off smoothly, and Angus climbed to a height of 100–150 feet (30–45 metres) before entering a steep [left](/source/Left_(direction)) turn. However, the aircraft entered an almost vertical roll, and Angus was unable to recover before the plane crashed. Sadly, the plane's sole designer and constructor lost his life in the accident.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Accident Angus Aquila G-ABIK, 21 Mar 1931 |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/202524 |access-date=2023-05-04 |website=aviation-safety.net}}</ref>

==Specifications==
{{Aircraft specs
|prime units? = imp
|crew=1
|empty weight kg=221
|empty weight lb=488
|gross weight kg=318
|gross weight lb=700
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[Salmson AD.9](/source/Salmson_AD.9) radial piston engine
|eng1 kw=30
|eng1 hp=40
|endurance=2 hours 0 minutes
}}
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==References==

{{reflist}}

Category:1930s British civil utility aircraft
Category:Low-wing aircraft
Category:Aircraft first flown in 1931
Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in England

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Angus Aquila](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_Aquila) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_Aquila?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.