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3-CT Air Yacht
|
|
3-CT-4 Air Yacht
|
Role
|
Airliner
Type of aircraft
|
National origin
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United States
|
Manufacturer
|
Bach Aircraft
|
Designer
|
Morton Bach
|
First flight
|
1927
|
Primary users
|
West Coast Air Transport
|
Number built
|
ca. 21
|
The
Bach Air Yacht
was a trimotor airliner produced in the United States in the 1920s. Typical of its day, it was a high-wing braced monoplane, with fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Unusual for airliners of the late 1920s (due to legislation that forbade carrying passengers in wooden aircraft), the Air Yachts were constructed almost entirely of wood with steel fittings, undercarriage, and struts. Different models were powered by varying combinations of
Wright
,
Ryan-Siemens
,
Kinner
,
Comet
, and
Pratt & Whitney
engines, a large engine in the nose of the aircraft, and two smaller "helpers" under the wings in nacelles supported by struts. As with so many aircraft companies of the late 1920s, the
Bach Aircraft
Company succumbed to the
Great Depression
, thus further development of the Air Yacht was abandoned after the 3-CT-9.
On 26 July 1929, a 3-CT-9 model piloted by
Waldo Waterman
set a new altitude record, lifting a 1,000 kg payload to 20,820 ft (6,347 m).
Variants
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- 3-CT-2
- Variant with one
Wright J-5
and two
Ryan-Siemens 9
engines.
- 3-CT-3
- Variant with one
Pratt & Whitney Wasp
and two
Ryan-Siemens 9
engines, one built.
- 3-CT-4
- Variant with one
Pratt & Whitney Wasp
and two
Ryan-Siemens 9
engines, two built.
- 3-CT-5
- Variant with one
Pratt & Whitney Wasp
and two
Comet 100hp
engines, one built.
- 3-CT-6
- Variant with one
Pratt & Whitney Hornet
and two
Comet 100hp
engines, five built.
- 3-CT-8
- Variant with one
Pratt & Whitney Hornet
and two
Wright J-6
engines, four or five built.
- 3-CT-9
- Variant with one
Pratt & Whitney Wasp
and two
Wright J-6
engines, three built.
- 3-CT-9K
- Variant of the 3-CT-9 with one
Pratt & Whitney Wasp
and two
Kinner C-5
engines, ten built.
- 3-CT-9S
- Deluxe variant of the 3-CT-9 with engine cowls, wheel spats, and custom interior, one built.
- 3-CTS
- Variant with one 3-CT-8 modified with a
Pratt & Whitney Wasp
and two
Wright J-5
engines, one built.
- T-11P
- Three aircraft, being single-engined conversions (formerly NC219H, NC53M, and 34998 built from spare parts)
- Note
- As it was common practice to upgrade airframes as improvements became available, some 'N' numbers and/or serial numbered airframes were redesignated as different or new models. Total number of Bach Air Yachts built verified by Air Commerce Bureau and FAA records is 21.
Specifications (3-CT-6)
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Bach Air Yacht 3-view drawing from Aero Digest January 1928
Data from
[2]
General characteristics
- Crew:
two (pilot, copilot)
- Capacity:
ten passengers
- Length:
36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
- Wingspan:
58 ft 5 in (17.81 m)
- Height:
9 ft 9 in (2.97 m)
- Wing area:
512 sq ft (47.6 m
2
)
- Empty weight:
4,739 lb (2,150 kg)
- Gross weight:
8,000 lb (3,629 kg)
- Powerplant:
1 ×
Pratt & Whitney Hornet
9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 525 hp (391 kW)
- Powerplant:
2 ×
Comet 7-RA
7-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 130 hp (97 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed:
154 mph (248 km/h, 134 kn)
- Cruise speed:
126 mph (203 km/h, 109 kn)
- Stall speed:
60 mph (97 km/h, 52 kn)
- Range:
600 mi (970 km, 520 nmi)
See also
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Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References
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]
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989).
Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation
. London: Studio Editions. p. 112.
- Juptner, Joseph P.. (1964).
U.S. Civil Aircraft Vol.2
. Los Angeles: Aero Publishers. pp. 40 to 42 & 206 to 208.
- Juptner, Joseph P.. (1964).
U.S. Civil Aircraft Vol.3
. Los Angeles: Aero Publishers.
- FAA Archives
. 1927?1935.
External links
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