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The American Aviation AA-2 Patriot was a four-seat,
all-metal aircraft that was developed in 1970-71 by
American Aviation of
Cleveland, Ohio. The design did not progress beyond the prototype stage.
Development
After the market success of the
AA-1 Yankee Clipper American Aviation turned their attention to developing a four-seat aircraft. The American Aviation engineers started with a "clean sheet of paper" and designed a new aircraft. This aircraft was intended to be produced as the American Aviation AA-2 Patriot.
The resulting prototype bore very little family resemblance to the AA-1. The AA-2 was different from the AA-1 in that it had doors instead of the Yankee's trademark sliding canopy and an
oleo strut
An oleo strut is a pneumatic air–oil hydraulic shock absorber used on the landing gear of most large aircraft and many smaller ones. This design cushions the impacts of landing and damps out vertical oscillations.
It is undesirable for an airp ...
in place of the Yankee's spring steel tube nose gear. The aircraft had provisions for
retractable gear to be installed on a later version, although the prototype had fixed landing gear. The AA-2 was powered by a 180 hp (134 kW)
Lycoming engine
Lycoming Engines is a major American manufacturer of aircraft engines. With a factory in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Lycoming produces a line of horizontally opposed, air-cooled, four, six and eight-cylinder engines including the only FAA-certif ...
.
The
prototype, registered "N488AA", was completed in 1970 and test flying was commenced early in that same year.
Aircraft performance during the test flying process fell far short of the design goals so the project was abandoned and the manufacturer eventually disassembled the prototype.
American Aviation made the decision to develop a stretched version of the AA-1 Yankee Clipper instead of pursuing the AA-2. This aircraft eventually was produced as the
AA-5 Traveler and was later developed into the
AA-5A Cheetah and the
AA-5B Tiger.
Survivors
The prototype has been recovered by members of the American Yankee Association.
Specifications (AA-2 Patriot)
See also
References
External links
Photos of the AA-2 prototype being recovered
{{American Aviation
1970s United States civil utility aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Patriot
A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism.
Patriot may also refer to:
Political and military groups United States
* Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American Revolution
* Patriot m ...
Low-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1970