The Adaro 1.E.7 Chirta was a Spanish military trainer aircraft built shortly before the outbreak of the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
.
Design and development
Designed in 1934 in response to a
Spanish Air Force
, colours =
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, march = Spanish Air and Space Force Anthem
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 10 December
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requirement as part of its modernisation programme, the Chirta was a conventional
sesquiplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a ...
, constructed of wood and metal and seating the student and instructor in tandem open cockpits. Slightly tapered wings had
ailerons
An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in Flight dynamics, roll (or ...
only on the upper wings; unusually, these covered the full span. Fuel was carried in an upper wing tank. There was a cut-out in the trailing edge of the upper wing for better upward visibility from the rear seat; the front seat was under the wing. A triangular
fin
A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ...
carried a slightly rounded,
unbalanced rudder. The tailskid undercarriage had
faired wheels on V-form main legs. The Chirta was intended to undertake fighter training and to be fully aerobatic.
[
Though the exact date of the first flight of the Chirta is not known, by early July 1935 it was flying and sufficiently developed to have taken part in competitive trials for the trainer contract.][ It was evaluated against the Gil-Pazó GP-1 and Hispano E-34 but was ranked third,][ so no production contract was awarded. No further examples were built, though the prototype survived undamaged until at least November 1936, when Francoist forces captured ]Cuatro Vientos
Cuatro Vientos is a ward (''barrio'') of Madrid belonging to the district of Latina.
Geography
Cuatro Vientos is situated in the south-western area of central Madrid, close to the motorways A5 and M40 and to the homonymous airport.
External l ...
, where the trials had taken place.[
]
Specifications
References
{{reflist, refs=
[{{cite book , title= Aircraft of the Spanish Civil War, last=Howson, first=Gerald, year=1990, publisher=Putnam Aeronautical Books, location=London , isbn=0-85177-842-9, page=35]
[{{cite journal , date=23 May 1935, title=L'avions-école de Adaro "1.E-7", journal=Les Ailes , issue=727, pages=3, url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6553882b/f3]
[{{cite journal , date=18 July 1935, title=Un concours d'avion-école , journal=Les Ailes , issue=735, pages=9, url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6553890w/f9]
1930s Spanish military trainer aircraft
Sesquiplanes