Harlow PJC-2
Single-Engine Four-Seat Low-Wing Taildragger Cabin Monoplane, USA

Archive Photos ¹

Harlow PJC-2 (N18978, s/n 1, 1938) on display (10/1/1989) at the 1989 Northrop 50 ’N Flying Family Day and Airshow, Palmdale, California

Harlow PJC-2 (N18978, s/n 1, 1938) on display (c.1995) at the Hawthorne Air Faire, Hawthorne, California

Harlow PJC-2 (N18978, s/n 1, 1938) on display (4/29/1995) at the 1995 Marine Corps Air Show El Toro, MCAS El Toro, California

Harlow PJC-2 (N18978, s/n 1, 1938) on display (c.1999) at the Hawthorne Air Faire, Hawthorne, California

Overview ²

• Harlow PJC-2
• Role: Four-seat cabin monoplane
• Manufacturer: Harlow Aircraft Company
• Designer: Max Harlow
• First flight: 1937
• Number built: 11
• Variants: Harlow PC-5

The Harlow PJC-2 was a 1930s American four-seat cabin monoplane, designed by Max Harlow.

Development ²

Max Harlow was an aeronautical engineer and instructor at the Pasadena Junior College. Under his tutelage, the aircraft designated PJC-1 was designed and built as a class project. The PJC-1 first flew on 14 September 1937 but it crashed during an extended (more than six turn) spin test with the center of gravity ballasted to the aft limit, as it was going through the certification process - a problem generally laid at the feet the unusually rigorous spin test requirement and the government test pilot, who bailed out of the airplane after the spin "flattened out." The airplane struck the ground, still in the "flat" (longitudinally level) attitude in a bean field near Mines Field (now Los Angeles International Airport) with considerable damage; although repairable, the PJC-1 was never returned to service. PJC students then built a slightly modified airplane, which became the PJC-2 (s/n 1). It was one of the first, if not the first, airplane designed and built in the U.S. with a stressed-skin semi-monocoque structure - a revolutionary design feature for the time. Harlow saw the potential and formed the Harlow Aircraft Company to build PJC-2 aircraft at Alhambra Airport. The PJC-2 was an all-metal low-wing cantilever monoplane with conventional low-set tailplane and a retractable tailwheel landing gear. A tandem two-seat version intended as a military trainer was developed as the Harlow PC-5.

Four aircraft were impressed into United States Army Air Force service with the designation UC-80 in 1942, and used by Civil Aeronautics Administration inspectors after WW II.

Operational History ²

As of 1991, three PJC-2’s were actively flying.

Variants ²

• PJC-1: Prototype, one built.
• PJC-2: One prototype, serial number 1, a Warner Super Scarab radial engine, followed by ten production airplanes. Most remaining examples have been re-engined with a Warner 165 HP or 185 HP engine.

Specifications (Harlow PJC-2) ²

General Characteristics

• Crew: One
• Capacity: Three passengers
• Length: 23 ft 4 in (7.11 m)
• Wingspan:
• Height: 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m)
• Wing area: 185 ft² (17.19 m²)
• Empty weight: 1,661 lb (753 kg)
• Gross weight: 2,600 lb (1,179 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Warner Super Scarab Series 50 7-cylinder radial piston engine, 145 hp (108 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 160 mph (257 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 140 mph (224 km/h)
• Range: 490 miles (788 km)
• Service ceiling: 15,500 ft (4,725 m)

References

1. Shupek, John. Photos, copyright © 1989, 1995, 1999 Skytamer Images. All Rights Reserved
2. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Harlow PJC-2