The Alon A-4 is a prototype American

light aircraft A light aircraft is an aircraft that has a maximum gross takeoff weight of or less.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 308. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. Light aircraft are used as utility aircraft co ...

of the 1960s. Alon INC. of McPherson, Kansas was formed by two former executives of

Beechcraft Beechcraft is an American brand of civil aviation and military aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, it was a brand of Beech Aircraft Corporation, an American manufacturer of general avi ...

in 1963 and had initially built an improved version of the

ERCO Ercoupe The ERCO Ercoupe is an American low-wing monoplane aircraft that was first flown in 1937. It was originally manufactured by the Engineering and Research Corporation (ERCO) shortly before World War II; several other manufacturers continued it ...

as the Alon A-2. In 1964, Alon started design of an all-new four-seat light aircraft, the Alon Four (or Alon A-4). It was a conventional, singled-engined low-winged

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...

of all-metal construction with a fixed (non retractable)

tricycle landing gear Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has a single nose wheel in the front, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity. Tricycle g ...

undercarriage. Alon produced one prototype, this first flying on February 25, 1966.Taylor 1966, pp. 183–184. The aircraft was never put into full production before the company was sold to

Mooney aircraft Mooney is a family name, which is probably predominantly derived from the Irish Ó Maonaigh, pronounced Om-weeneey. It can also be spelled Moony, Moonie, Mainey, Mauney, Meaney and Meeney depending on the dialectic pronunciation that was angli ...

Specifications

References

* Taylor, John W. R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1966–67''. London:Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1966. * ref. see image of flier
Alon X-A4 data
1960s United States civil utility aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1966 Low-wing aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft {{Aero-1960s-stub