Culver Dart

Dart

Picture - A restored 1939 Culver Dart GK equipped for aerobatics over PLK

Role: Two-seat Light Monoplane
Manufacturer: Culver Aircraft Company
Designed by: Albert Mooney

The Culver Dart was a 1930s American two-seat light monoplane aircraft produced by the Dart Aircraft Company (later the Culver Aircraft Company).

Design and development

In the early 1930s Al Mooney was working for the Lambert Aircraft Corporation, builders of the Monocoupe series aircraft. He designed a small two-seat monoplane, the Monosport G. When the company ran into financial difficulties Mooney bought the rights to his design and with K.K. Culver formed the Dart Aircraft Company. The aircraft was renamed the Dart Dart or Dart Model G.

The aircraft was a low-wing monoplane designed to be light with clean lines to enable it to use low powered aero-engines. It had a fixed undercarriage and a tailwheel. The initial version was named the Dart G powered by a 90 hp (67 kW) Lambert R-266 radial engine. That engine was in short supply, so the aircraft was fitted with a Ken-Royce engine and designated the Dart GK. The final version was the Dart GW powered by a Warner Scarab Junior radial engine. Two special aircraft were built with larger engines. In 1939 the company was renamed the Culver Aircraft Company and the aircraft was renamed the Culver Dart.

Variants

Picture - Dart GW of 1939 at Lakeland, Florida in April 2009

Dart G
Initial production version powered by a 90 hp (67 kW) Lambert R-266 - ca. 50 built.
Dart GC
125hp Continental O-200 - 10 built
Dart GK
Variant fitted with a 90-hp (67 kW) Ken-Royce engine - 25 built.
Dart GW
Final production version powered by a 90 hp (67 kW) Warner Scarab Junior - 8 built.
Dart GW Special
Two aircraft fitted with larger Warner engines, one with a 125hp (93 kW) engine, and the other with 145hp (108 kW) engine.
X-F 220 Super Dart
An experimental variant modified with a 220-hp Continental R-670, 8 foot wing reduction and a 188 mph cruise speed. Used by Rodney Jocelyn in national aerobatics.

Specifications (Dart GW)

Data from Simpson, 2001, p.170

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: ()
Wingspan: 29 ft 6 in (8.99 m)
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Wing area: 176 ft² (16.35 m²)
Empty weight: 940 lb (426 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 1,540 lb (699 kg)
Powerplant: 1x— Warnar Scarab Junior radial piston, 90 hp (67 kw)

Performance

Maximum speed: 131 mph (211 km/h)
Range: 495 miles (797 km)
Service ceiling: 16,000 ft (4875 m)

Bibliography

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
Simpson, Rod (2001). Airlife's World Aircraft. Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-115-3.
Simpson, R.W. (1991). Airlife's General Aviation. Shrewsbury, England: Airlife. ISBN 1 85310 194 X.

Culver Dart Pictures

Living Warbirds: The best warbirds DVD series.

Source: WikiPedia