| Special | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Homebuilt aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Culp's Specialties |
| Status | In production (2013) |
| Number built | at least six |
The Culp Special is an American aerobatic homebuilt aircraft designed and produced by Culp's Specialties of Shreveport, Louisiana. The aircraft is supplied as a kit or in the form of plans for amateur construction.[1]
The Culp Special is intended to resemble an aircraft of the 1930s. It features a wire and strut-braced biplane layout, a two-seats-in-tandem open cockpit with dual windshields, fixed conventional landing gear with wheel pants, and a single engine in tractor configuration.[1]
The aircraft is made from welded steel tubing and wood, all covered in doped aircraft fabric. Its 24.00 ft (7.3 m) span wing has a wing area of 161 sq ft (15.0 m2). The standard engine used is the Russian 360 hp (268 kW) Vedeneyev M14P nine cylinder, air-cooled, four stroke radial engine.[1][2]
The Culp Special has a typical empty weight of 1,480 lb (670 kg) and a gross weight of 2,100 lb (950 kg), giving a useful load of 620 lb (280 kg). With full fuel of 70 U.S. gallons (260 L; 58 imp gal) the payload for pilot, passengers, and baggage is 200 lb (91 kg).[1]
The manufacturer estimates the construction time from the supplied kit as 2500 hours.[1]
By 1998 the company reported that one aircraft was flying.[1]
In December 2016, three examples were registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration and one in Canada with Transport Canada.[3][4]
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Data from AeroCrafter and Culp's Specialties[1][2]
General characteristics
Performance
