The Ameur Altania was a single-engine light aircraft of

pusher configuration 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 ...

with side-by-side seats for two and a V-tail, designed in France in the 1990s. Several prototypes were built and flown, including a 15 m span motorglider version; the final prototype was constructed from carbon composites rather than

glass fibre Glass fiber ( or glass fibre) is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass. Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the inventio ...

. Another version, the UCA Carbon Bird has been built by Universal Composite Aviation after the bankruptcy of Ameur Aviation.

Design and development

The Altania was designed by the

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

-based Ameur Aviation Technologie group (AAT) as the AAT Balbuzard (Osprey in English). It was a low-wing monoplane of pusher configuration, with a single buried engine driving a propeller at the extreme rear via a long driveshaft. The engine was mounted over the wing with a dorsal shallow air intake just behind the cabin. Behind the engine the fuselage became a slender boom, terminating in a butterfly tail and two ventral strakes. The cabin seated two side by side, with a small luggage space behind, and was enclosed by a forward-hinged, single piece canopy. There was a retractable tricycle undercarriage with inward retracting mainwheels, fitted with

hydraulic brake A hydraulic brake is an arrangement of braking mechanism which uses brake fluid, typically containing glycol ethers or diethylene glycol, to transfer pressure from the controlling mechanism to the braking mechanism. History During 1904, Frederick ...

Five prototypes

The first prototype Balbuzard flew on 9 July 1995, powered by a 60 kW (80 hp)

Rotax 912 The Rotax 912 is a horizontally-opposed four-cylinder, naturally aspirated, four-stroke aircraft engine with a reduction gearbox. It features liquid-cooled cylinder heads and air-cooled cylinders. Originally equipped with carburetors, late ...

. Like the next three prototypes, this aircraft had a

structure.
The second prototype had an 88 kW (118 hp) Textron Lycoming O-235 engine, driving a three-blade, fixed pitch propeller, and a longer span and lower set wing fitted with winglets. The undercarriage height was also increased. This second prototype ''F-W(P)ARA'' was lost in 1997 when the propeller driveshaft failed in flight;
The third prototype, similarly powered, was renamed the Baljims 1A because of copyright issues. Between them, the second and third prototypes achieved 350 hours of flight testing.
The fourth prototype was a long span (15 m or 49 ft 2.5 in) motorglider, only flown for 30 hours before its development was abandoned.
The fifth aircraft, the Ameur Altania prototype, was built from pre-impregnated carbon-epoxy and honeycomb, because glass fibre construction of these prototypes led to excess weight. The fuselage was single piece and the single spar wing had double-slotted flaps and upturned tips. It flew in December 2001. This fifth prototype aircraft/first Altania ''F-WWMU'' is recorded as damaged in July 2005, with no mention of repair.

Projects

Several production variants were projected: The Altania RG 80 UL; the Altania Vista surveillance aircraft; the Inguidar trainer; the Altania Saphir, a four-seat, kit built development; and the UAV MALE, a pilotless drone. The most radical variant was the Ameur Altajet, a pure jet version powered by two wing root positioned, 3.43 kN (770 lb st) thrust

Williams EJ22 The Williams EJ22 was a small turbofan engine that was being developed by Williams International for very light jet (VLJ) aircraft applications. Development Williams International had been building small turbofan engines for cruise missile app ...

engines. None of these variants were built, though the Altajet and the RG 80 UL reached the mock up stage. AAT was declared bankrupt in 2006 but the Altania design was taken up by Universal Composite Aviation (UCA). The four-seat UCA Carbon Bird CB-200 appeared at the Paris Aero shows of 2007 and 2009, though not in 2011; its current status is unclear.

Specifications (Altania RG 80 UL)

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite book , title= Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2006–07, last= Jackson , first= Paul , year=2006, publisher=IHS Jane's, location= Coulsdon, Surrey, pages=152–3 {{cite book , title=European registers handbook 2010 , last= Partington , first=Dave , year=2010, publisher= Air Britain (Historians) Ltd, isbn=978-0-85130-425-0 {{cite web , url=http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/VanTilborg/7772.htm, title=Ameur Baljims 1A , access-date=2011-11-26 {{cite web , url=http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-All-the-Worlds-Aircraft/Universal-Composite-Carbon-Bird-France.html/ , title=Universal Composite Carbon Bird , access-date=2011-11-26 1990s French sport aircraft Low-wing aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft Motor gliders Aircraft first flown in 1995 V-tail aircraft