Aerosport Scamp A
United States, Single-seat Light Aircraft

Archive Photos ¹

Aerosport Scamp (1983), N3968R, Hawthorne Air Faire, Hawthorne, CA

Aerosport Scamp A ²

The prototype of the single-seat all-metal Scamp A flew for the first time on 21 August 1973. It was intended primarily for operation from grass strips, and tricycle landing gear was chosen as being more rational for a generation of amateur pilots who had received their initial flight training on aircraft equipped with landing gear of this configuration. Stressed to +6g and -3g, the Scamp A can be used for limited aerobatics; the emphasis has been placed on simple construction techniques to make it an easy project for the home builder.

Plans and kits of parts, except for the engine, are available to amateur constructors. More than 800 sets of plans have been sold by 1982. At least 20 Scamps are flying and 22 more under construction from Aerosport kits., including two in the UK. Those flying include examples built in New Zealand and Sweden.

An agricultural crop-spraying version known as Scamp B, is assembled in South America from Aerosport kits and marketed commercially. A kit of component parts to construct this version will be available in U.S. from late 1982.

Specifications and Performance Data (Scamp A) ²

Type

• Single-seat light aircraft.

Wings

• Braced biplane structure, with V-type interplane strut each side.
• Flying and landing wires of streamlined section.
• Single 5 cm × 12.5 cm (2 in × 5 in) extruded section of 6061-T6 light alloy forms a pylon to support the center-section of the upper wing.
• Dihedral 3° on lower wings only.
• All-metal two-spar structures of light alloy.
• Plain ailerons of light alloy construction, with piano hinge at upper surface, on upper wing only.
• No flaps.
• No trim tabs.

Fuselage

• Semi-monocoque all-metal structure of light alloy.

Tail Unit

• Braced T-tail of light alloy construction.
• Single bracing strut on each side.
• Fixed-incidence tailplane.
• Ground-adjustable trim tab on rudder.

Landing Gear

• Non-retractable tricycle type.
• Cantilever spring main-gear struts of light alloy.
• Wheel fairing on each unit optional.

Power Plant

• Prototype has one 44.5 kW (60 hp) 1,834 cc Volkswagen modified motorcar engine.
• Design suitable for Volkswagen engines of 1,700 to 2,100 cc, driving a 56-38 two-blade fixed-pitch wooden propeller.
• Fuel tank in fuselage nose, aft of firewall, capacity 30.5 L (8 U.S. gallons).
• Refueling point on fuselage upper surface, forward a windscreen.

Accommodation

• Single seat in open cockpit.

Dimensions

• Wing span: 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m)
• Wing chord, constant: 3 ft 0 in (0.91 m)
• Wing area, gross: 102.5 ft² (9.52 m²)
• Length overall: 14 ft 0 in (4.27 m)
• Height overall: 5 ft 6½ in (1.69 m)
• Wheel track: 5 ft 0 in (1.52 m)
• Wheelbase: 3 ft 10 in (1.17 m)

Weights and Loadings

• Weight empty: 520 lbs (236 kg)
• Maximum T-O weight: 768 lbs (348 kg)

Performance (prototype)

• Never-exceed speed: 125 mph (201 km/h, 108 knots)
• Max level speed: 95 mph (153 km/h, 82 knots)
• Cruising speed: 85 mph (137.4 km/h, 74 knots)
• Max maneuvering speed: 83 mph (134 km/h, 72 knots)
• Stalling speed: 45 mph (73 km/h, 39 knots)
• Service ceiling (estimated): 12,000 ft (3,660 m)
• T-O run: 300 ft (91 km)
• Landing run: 400 ft (122 m)
• Range at cruising speed: 150 miles (241 km, 130 nm)

References

1. Shupek, John. Aerosport Scamp A, The Skytamer Archive, Copyright © 1998 Skytamer Images. All Rights Reserved
2. Taylor, John W. R., Jane’s All The World’s Aircraft 1982-83, Jane’s Yearbooks, ISBN 0 7106-0748-2, 1982