The Zenair Tri-Z CH 300 is a three-seat
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
homebuilt light aircraft. A single-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 ...
, the CH 300 first flew in 1977, with several hundred kits sold.
Development and design
![Zenair CH300TD C-FIAB 03](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Zenair_CH300TD_C-FIAB_03.JPG)
The CH 300 is an enlarged three-seat derivative of the
Zenair Zenith CH 200, designed by
Chris Heintz in the mid 1970s as the Tri-Zénith.
[Taylor 1976, p.458.] Like the CH 200, it is a 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
nosewheel undercarriage, but is larger and more powerful, and is fitted with a rear bench seat capable of accommodating a third adult or two children, and is fitted with a forward sliding canopy. It is designed to be powered by an engine giving between 125 and 180 hp (93 and 134 kW).
Zenair
Zenair Ltd is a Canadian kit aircraft producer founded by aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz and based in Midland, Ontario.
History
The company was founded in 1974 when Heintz started to manufacture Zenith kits from his two-car garage. ...
, ''Zenair pamphlet'', circa 1986.
The first example made its maiden flight on 9 July 1977, with over 400 sets of plans sold by 1982.
One CH 300, modified with extra fuel tanks and piloted by Robin "Red" Morris, made a non-stop trans-Canada flight between
Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport is an international airport located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, serving the city of Vancouver and the Lower Mainland region. It is located from Downtown Vancouver. It is the second busie ...
and
Halifax International Airport
Halifax Stanfield International Airport is a Canadian airport in Goffs, Nova Scotia, a rural community of the Halifax Regional Municipality. It serves the Halifax region, mainland Nova Scotia, and adjacent areas in the neighbouring Maritime pr ...
on 1–2 July 1978, covering the 2,759 mile (4,440 km) in 22 hours, 44 mins, setting three
FAI Class C-1c point-to-point speed records.
[List of records established by the 'Zenair Tri-Z']
. ''Fédération Aéronautique Internationale''. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
Plans for the CH 300 remained on sale in 1999.
[Taylor 1999, p.535.] The Zenair CH 300 formed the basis for the factory built
Zenair CH-2000, which first flew in 1993.
[Taylor 1999, p.401.]
Variants
;CH 300
:Basic model with
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 ...
;CH 300 TD
:"Taildragger" model with
conventional landing gear
Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...
Aircraft on display
*
Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Specifications (150 hp O-320 engine)
See also
Notes
References
*
Taylor, John W. R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976-77''. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. .
*
Taylor, John W. R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982-83''. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1982. .
*Taylor, Michael J. H. ''Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999/2000''. London:Brassey's, 1999. .
{{Zenair
1970s Canadian sport aircraft
Homebuilt aircraft
CH 300
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Low-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1977