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The Aerocar IMP (for Independently Made Plane) was an unconventional light aircraft designed by
Moulton Taylor
Moulton B. "Molt" Taylor (September 29, 1912 – November 16, 1995) was an American aeronautical engineer famed for his work designing, developing, and manufacturing on a small scale one of the first practical flying cars, the Aerocar.
Life a ...
and marketed for
homebuilding. The IMP and its various derivatives were developed by Taylor's
Aerocar
Aerocar International's Aerocar (often called the Taylor Aerocar) was an American roadable aircraft designed and built by Moulton Taylor in Longview, Washington in 1949. Although six examples were made, it never entered large-scale production. I ...
business after he had already established himself in the homebuilt market with the
Coot
Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family, Rallidae. They constitute the genus ''Fulica'', the name being the Latin term for "coot". Coots have predominantly black plumage, and—unlike many rails—they are usually ...
amphibian, and at the time of the energy crisis in the United States, were designed to be economical to build and operate.
The IMP was unconventional in configuration in having a
pusher propeller
In an aircraft with a pusher configuration (as opposed to a tractor configuration), the propeller(s) are mounted behind their respective engine(s). Since a pusher propeller is mounted behind the engine, the drive shaft is in compression in nor ...
powered by a long driveshaft from an engine mounted midway within the fuselage of the aircraft. This provided an aerodynamic advantage over more traditional pusher arrangements by allowing greater streamlining of the fuselage – giving the IMP the appearance of an elongated teardrop. The aircraft's most visually striking feature, however, is its inverted
V-tail
The V-tail or ''Vee-tail'' (sometimes called a butterfly tail or Rudlicki's V-tailGudmundsson S. (2013). "General Aviation Aircraft Design: Applied Methods and Procedures" (Reprint). Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 489. , 9780123973290) of an aircraft ...
.
Originally designed as a four-seat aircraft, the original IMP design proved to be too complex and expensive for the market that Taylor was aiming for, and although it was awarded a
type certification
A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). It confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production, is in compliance with applica ...
by the
FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
, development was abandoned in favour of scaled-down, single-seat version dubbed the
Mini-IMP.
Specifications (IMP)
General characteristics
* Crew: one pilot
* Capacity: 3 passengers
* Length: 22 ft 0 in (6.70 m)
* Wingspan: 29 ft 0 in (8.84 m)
* Height: ft in ( m)
* Wing area: 112 ft
2 ( 10.39 m
2)
* Empty: 950 lb (430 kg)
* Loaded: 1550 lb (703 kg)
* Maximum takeoff: lb ( kg)
* Powerplant: 1x
Franklin 4R, 200 hp (149 kW)
Performance
* Maximum speed: 150 mph (240 km/h)
* Range: miles ( km)
* Service ceiling: ft ( m)
* Rate of climb: 800 ft/min ( m/min)
* Wing loading: 13.8 lb/ft
2 ( kg/m
2)
* Power/Mass: 0.1290 hp/lb (0.04966 kW/kg)
* Propeller diameter: 6 ft (1.82 m)
See also
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aerocar Imp
Homebuilt aircraft
Single-engined pusher aircraft
1970s United States civil utility aircraft
IMP
IMP or imp may refer to:
* Imp, a fantasy creature
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Imp (She-Ra), a character in ''She-Ra: Princess of Power''
* Imp a character in '' Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony''
* Imp, a character in the '' Clan ...
V-tail aircraft