| AS-57 | |
|---|---|
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| Role | Two seatlight aircraft Type of aircraft |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Avions André Starck |
| Designer | André Starck |
| First flight | 4 April 1946 |
| Number built | 10 |
TheStarck AS-57 is a single enginelow wing monoplane seating two inside-by-side configuration. It was designed and built inFrance just afterWorld War II; only ten were produced, one of which was still active in 2012.
Like the earlierStarck A.S. 70 Jac single seat light aircraft, the AS-57 was an all wooden machine. The two types were similar in layout, apart from the accommodation, though the AS-57 was larger all round. The wings were straight tapered in plan, with roundedtips. The earliest AS-57 had full spantrailing edge control surfaces which could be lowered asflaps and operated differentially at the same time asailerons, though one later specimen at least had ailerons outboard and separate flaps inboard.Leading edge slots are fitted. Theside-by-side configuration seating is enclosed under abubble canopy which has transparent access panels. At the rear the canopy line drops to the upperfuselage to improve the pilot's view aft. The fuselage tapers back to the tail unit, where thetailplane is mounted just above the upper fuselage surface, braced from below with a pair ofstruts and placed well forward of the straightleading edge of thefin. The fin has a curved top which merges into a full, roundedrudder.[1][2]
The AS-57 has a fixedconventional undercarriage; some have hadwheel fairings, others not. There is a small tailwheel. Various engines have been fitted; the one remaining active aircraft has a 78 kW (105 hp)Walter Minor 4-III but another had aRegnier 67 kW (90 hp)4E.0, both four cylinder, inverted, air-cooledinlines.[1][2][3]
The AS-57 flew for the first time on 4 April 1946.[1]
An AS-57 was on view at the 1949 Paris Salon.[4] The general later verdict on the AS-57 was that its appearance was pleasing and its characteristics "honest", but its performance unexceptional.[2]
In 2010 only one AS-57, powered by a Walter Minor engine,[1] remained on the French civil aircraft register.[5] Another AS-57 is at the Musée Régional de l'Air atAngers, viewable though not on public display.[6]
Data from Airlife's World Aircraft,[1] Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1947[7]
General characteristics
Performance
