Druine Condor

{{short description|Light aircraft developed in France}} {{Infobox aircraft |name=D.62 Condor |image=G-AWFP-Condor-0510.jpg |caption=Rollason 1968-built D62B in 2007 |aircraft_type=Trainer |manufacturer= Borea, Rollason |designer=Roger Druine |first_flight=1956 |introduction= |retired= |status= |primary_user= |more_users= |produced= |number_built= |variants= }}

The '''Druine D.60 Condor''' is a light aircraft designed by Roger Druine in France in the 1950s. Druine’s primary aim was to design a trainer aircraft for amateur construction.<ref name = "History">{{Cite web|url=http://www.rollason-condor.co.uk/history.htm|title = Rollason|condor}}</ref> The Condor was subsequently made in quantity in the UK by Rollason Aircraft & Engines.<ref name = "Jackson548 ">Jackson 1988, pp. 548-550.</ref>

==History==

The first Condor ''F-WBIX'' first flew in 1956. The Condor was an evolution of the Druine Turbi, but featured an extensively revised fuselage allowing the pilot and instructor to sit side by side under a full canopy.

Norman Jones, the founder of the Tiger Club and owner of Rollason Aircraft & Engines, had already had a number of Druine Turbulents built by his company and hit upon the idea of developing the Condor for the demands of club flying.<ref name = "History"/> With a number of refinements to the design, Rollason Aircraft and Engines undertook series production at Croydon Airport from 1961 as the '''Rollason Condor'''.<ref name = "Jackson548"/> As Croydon had closed for flying in 1959, all aircraft were transported to Redhill, where they were reassembled and test flown.<ref name = "History"/>

Norman Jones was keenly interested in the development of Flying Clubs and so made Condors available on favourable loan terms. To emphasise the fact that his company was entirely independent and un-subsidised, Norman Jones had painted on the rudder of one aircraft the legend "British Made - Private Enterprise and No Taxpayers Money".<ref name = "History"/>

In 1973, Rollasons ceased all aircraft work at Croydon and moved to Shoreham where a single Condor was completed. A number of unfinished fuselages were sold off for possible completion as amateur-built aircraft; one of these was ''G-BADM'', registered to Rollasons in 1972 and subsequently completed in 1994 by an amateur.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rollason-condor.co.uk/histories/badm.htm|title=Untitled Document}}</ref>

Borea in France also produced the D.61 Condor.

==Variants==

;D.60: Druine's prototype with 65 hp CNA D.4 ;D.61: Druine production variant with 65 hp Continental A65 ;D.62: Druine or Rollason variant with 75 hp Continental A75 - 1 built by Rollason,<ref name = "Jackson548"/> later upgraded to 90 hp Continental C90<ref name = "History"/> ;D.62A: Rollason variant with 100 hp Continental O-200-A - 2 built<ref name = "Jackson548"/> ;D.62B: Rollason variant from 1964 with 4" shorter fuselage and flaps - 41 completed; some subsequently converted to D.62C standard<ref name = "Jackson548"/> ;D.62C: Rollason variant with 130 hp Continental O-240-A for glider towing - 4 built<ref name = "Jackson548"/> == Specifications (D.62B) == Condor Cockpit|thumb|right {{Aircraft specs |ref=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1966–67<ref name="jawa66 p167">{{harvnb|Taylor|1966|p=167}}</ref>

|prime units?=met  |genhide=

|crew=1

|capacity=1 passenger |length m=6.86 |length ft= |length in= |span m=8.38 |span ft= |span in= |height m= |height ft=2.36 |height in= |wing area sqm=11.13 |wing area sqft= |airfoil= |aspect ratio=6.3:1 |empty weight kg=417 |empty weight lb= |max takeoff weight kg=670 |gross weight lb= |fuel capacity={{convert|73|L|USgal impgal|abbr=on}}  |eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=Rolls-Royce Continental 0-200A |eng1 type=air-cooled flat-four engine |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp=100

|prop blade number=2 |prop name=Airscrew-Weyroc fixed-pitch propeller |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in=

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=204 |max speed mph= |max speed kts= |max speed mach= |cruise speed kmh=172 |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed note=(econ cruise) |stall speed kmh=74 |never exceed speed kmh=272 |range km=560 |range miles= |range nmi= |ceiling m=3650 |ceiling ft= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin=610 |more performance=*'''Takeoff distance to 15 m (50 ft):''' {{convert|177|m|ft|abbr=on}} (on grass) *'''Landing distance from 15 m (50 ft):''' {{convert|137|m|ft|abbr=on}} (on grass) |avionics= }}  {{aircontent  |see also= |related= |similar aircraft= |lists= }}

==References== {{Reflist}}

===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} * {{cite book|last=Taylor|first=John W. R.|title=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1966–67|year=1966|publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Company|location=London|author-link=John W. R. Taylor }} * {{cite book |last= Taylor |first= Michael J. H. |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |pages=347 }} * {{cite book |title=World Aircraft Information Files |publisher=Bright Star Publishing|location=London |pages=File 892 Sheet 47}} * {{cite journal |date=6 May 1955 |title=Flying the Druine Condor |journal=Flight |pages=579–82 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1955/1955%20-%200579.html |access-date= 2008-02-28 }} *Jackson, A. J. ''British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972 Vol 3'', 2nd Edition (reprint) 1988. London: Putnam {{ISBN|0-85177-818-6}} {{refend}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} *http://www.rollason-condor.co.uk/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027063159/http://www.rollason-condor.co.uk/ |date=2009-10-27 }}

Category:1950s French civil trainer aircraft Condor Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft Category:Aircraft first flown in 1950