| National origin | United States |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Windstar |
The Windstar YF-80 is an American single-seat homebuilt replica of the Lockheed F-80.[1] By 1987, the project was not complete, resulting in a court case between investors. The prototype was re-engined with a Turbomeca Marboré II turbine engine, as the Stargate YT-33.[2]
Design and development
The YF-80 is a two-thirds scale replica of a Lockheed F-80 or T-33.[clarification needed] The aircraft is a composite-construction, single-engine, low-wing design, with retractable tricycle landing gear. The tip tanks are removable for aerobatic flight.[3] The aircraft is powered by a Chevy 350 V-8 turbocharged engine driving a turbine thrust section. The thrust section is driven by belts with high gear ratios to drive the turbine closer to the rotational speed it was originally designed for.[4]
The aircraft project was intended to showcase the Davis engine technology, with a static prototype displayed in 1977. Burt Rutan was approached to build the composite fuselage, but the US$240,000 cost estimate was declined. Davis attempted to produce a production prototype fuselage for US$80,000.
Stargate YT-33
| National origin | United States |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Stargate, Inc. |
| Status | Production completed (1994) |
| Number built | One |
| Retired | 2018 |
| Developed from | Lockheed T-33 Windstar YF-80 |
The Stargate YT-33 is an American turbine powered prototype[5] homebuilt aircraft that was designed and intended to be produced by Stargate, Inc., of McMinnville, Oregon. It was introduced in 1994. The aircraft is a 2/3 scale replica of the Lockheed T-33 jet trainer.[6] Listed as "under development" in 1998, the YT-33 was planned to be supplied as a kit for amateur construction, but it is unlikely any kits were ever shipped.[6]
Design and development
The YT-33 features a cantilever low wing, a two-seats-in-tandem enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, retractable tricycle landing gear, and a single jet engine.[6]
The aircraft is made from composite material. Its 26.67 ft (8.1 m) span wing has a wing area of 110.0 sq ft (10.22 m2). The prototype uses a 880 lbf (3.9 kN) thrust Turbomeca Marboré IIC jet powerplant.[6][7]
The aircraft has a typical empty weight of 2,205 lb (1,000 kg) and a gross weight of 2,920 lb (1,320 kg), giving a useful load of 715 lb (324 kg). The aircraft has a fuel capacity of 200 US gallons (760 L) or 1,358 lb (616 kg) of Jet-A.[6]
The ISA standard temperature, sea-level, no-wind, take-off distance is 2,000 ft (610 m), and the landing roll is 3,000 ft (914 m).[6]
The manufacturer estimated the construction time from the proposed kit to be 3000 hours.[6]
Operational history
By 1998, the company reported that one YT-33 had been completed and was flying.[6] On April 18, 2018 the one example that had been registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration was de-registered; the aircraft may not exist any longer.[7]
References
- ^ Garrison, Peter (November 1977). "Homebuilder Heaven". Flying Magazine. New York: Ziff-Davis. pp. 72–74, 133. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
- ^ de Piolenc, F. Marc & Wright, George E. Jr. Ducted Fan Design. Vol. 1. Revised ed. p. 92.
- ^ Gallagher, Sheldon M. & Levy, Howard (January 1978). "New homebuilts: Classy looks with a dash of the old days". Popular Mechanics. New York: Hearst Corporation. pp. 54–56, 116. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
- ^ Flight International. 22 August 1977.
- ^ "Stargate MT33". Retrieved 1 December 2013.
- ^ Purdy, Don (July 15, 1998). AeroCrafter: Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook. 5th ed. BAI Communications. p. 359. ISBN 0-9636409-4-1.
- ^ "N-Number Inquiry Results - N91SH". Federal Aviation Administration. 22 July 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.