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The Zenair Zenith CH 200 and CH 250 are a family of
Chris Heintz:Designer
. ''Zenith Aircraft Company''. Retrieved 27 February 2010. and set up
;Zenair CH 200
:Initial version. Could be built as a cross country cruiser with an engine of or as an aerobatic trainer with modifications and a powerplant producing . The aircraft can be constructed as a taildragger or on
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 ...
single-engined homebuilt light aircraft. It is a low-winged single engine 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 ...
, that was first flown in France in 1970, with kits being made by the Canadian company 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. ...
from 1974, with hundreds built and flown.
Development and design
In October 1968, the Frenchaeronautical engineer
Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is sim ...
Chris Heintz, who worked for Avions Pierre Robin
Robin Aircraft is a French manufacturer of light aircraft. It succeeds to ''Centre-Est Aéronautique'', ''Avions Pierre Robin'' and Apex Aircraft (''Avions Robin'' and ''Robin Aviation'').
History
Centre-Est Aéronautique was formed by Pierre ...
, started work on the design of a two-seat all-metal light aircraft suitable for amateur construction, the Zenith, with the prototype making its maiden flight on 22 March 1970.Taylor 1976, p. 457.
Heintz migrated to Canada in 1973,. ''Zenith Aircraft Company''. Retrieved 27 February 2010. and set up
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. ...
in 1974 to sell plans and kits of the Zénith.Gunston 2005, p.525. The Zenith, which gained the designation Zenith CH 200 when Heintz produced plans for larger and smaller derivatives, is a low-winged cantilever
A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cant ...
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. The pilot and passenger sit side by side under a clear, sideways-opening plexiglas
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) belongs to a group of materials called engineering plastics. It is a transparent thermoplastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylite ...
canopy, while the aircraft is fitted with a fixed nosewheel undercarriage. It is designed to be powered by a single piston engine of between 85 and 160 hp (63.5 and 119 kW).
The first Zenith to be built in North America flew in October 1975, and by 1976, over 300 plans had been sold.Taylor 1976, p.458. Plans continued to be available in 1999, by which time hundreds were flying.Taylor 1999, p.535.
At the 1976 EAA Convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin the factory used volunteer labour to build and fly a CH 200 in eight days, using 550 person-hours.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.
Variants
;Zenair CH 200
:Initial version. Could be built as a cross country cruiser with an engine of or as an aerobatic trainer with modifications and a powerplant producing . The aircraft can be constructed as a taildragger or on tricycle 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 ...
and flown as a skiplane or on floats.
;Zenair CH 250
:Improved version with more fuel, larger baggage area, rear windows and a forward sliding canopy.
;Zenair CH 250 TD
:"Tail Dragger" version 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 ...
.
Specifications (100 hp engine)
See also
Notes
References
* Gunston, Bill. ''World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers''. Second edition. Stroud, UK:Sutton Publishing, 2005. . * 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 200 Single-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1970