The Call-Air Model A is an American two- to three-seat utility aircraft designed by the Call brothers and built by the
Call Aircraft Company, later developed into a successful line of agricultural aircraft.
Design and development
The Model A was designed by the Call family, who were Wyoming ranchers. The aircraft was ready to be produced in 1940 but the start of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
delayed the start of production to 1946. The family had formed the
Call Aircraft Company (known as Call-Air) to produce the aircraft. The prototype Model A was powered by a
Continental A-80
The Continental O-170 engine is the collective military designation for a family of small aircraft engines, known under the company designation of A50, A65, A75 and A80. The line was designed and built by Continental Motors commencing in the 194 ...
engine but was redesignated the Model A-1 when re-engined with an
Avco Lycoming O-235-A engine. A United States type certificate was awarded in July 1944 and the production model was designated the Model A-2. The Model A-2 was a two-seat braced low-wing monoplane with fabric-covered wooden wings and fabric-covered welded steel tube. It had a fixed tailwheel landing gear. Further models were introduced with different engines. Examples of the three-seat A-4 were converted for agricultural use followed by a new-build agricultural version the A-5. In 1962 the assets of the company were acquired at auction by the Intermountain Manufacturing Company (IMCO) who developed their own version the
IMCO CallAir A-9. IMCO was later taken over by the Aero Commander division of the Rockwell Standard Corporation and later became part of North American Rockwell, the design was further developed and redesignated.
Variants
:;A
:
Continental A-80
The Continental O-170 engine is the collective military designation for a family of small aircraft engines, known under the company designation of A50, A65, A75 and A80. The line was designed and built by Continental Motors commencing in the 194 ...
-engined prototype, one built converted to A-1
:;A-1
:Re-engined with an
Avco Lycoming O-235-a engine, four built and prototype converted.
:;A-2
:Two-seat cabin monoplane production version powered by an
Avco Lycoming O-290-a engine, 16 built.
:;A-3
:125 hp (93 kw)
Continental C-125-2-powered version, 15 built.
:;A-4
:Two/three-seat cabin monoplane version powered by a 135 hp (101 kw)
Avco Lycoming O-290-D2 engine, 65 built.
:;A-5
:Open-cockpit two-seat agricultural version of the A-4, 74 built.
::;A-5T Texan
::A-5 with revised fuselage structure, nine built.
:;A-6
:Improved version of A-5 with
Avco Lycoming O-360-A1A engine, 34 built.
:;A-7
:Similar to A-5 powered by
West Coast Dusting-built
Continental W-670-240 engine. One converted from an A-6
::;A-7T
::Proposed development of A-7 with higher gross weight
Specifications (A-2)
References
Further reading
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External links
{{commons category, CallAir A-2
Vintage Aircraft Museum
1940s United States civil utility aircraft
Low-wing aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1940