Populor FlVing AIRTEST No. z-Tfffi CONDOR

UCH of the success of ultra light aircraft in this country is owed to the successful introduction of some of the many French designs into this country. One of the most prolific designers in France was the late Roger Druine who shortly before his death followed his successful 66 Turbulent " and '6 Turbi " with the somewhat more sophisticated tt Condor."

The Condor achieves a good deal towards the personal comfort of the occupants without losing any of the basic simplicity. It is indeed an excellent compromise towards the very high standard achieved by the American industry and the simple hand built light aircraft, which can be built by the individual craftsman and who indeeed is able to become airborne by his own efforts.

That champion of the sporting pilot, Mr. Norman Jones, Managing Director of Rollasons has followed up his excellent work with the Turbulents by building a Condor with the eventual idea of offering for sale a two seat side by side club aircraft in the region of f,2,500. Lest this moderate price be thought to be at the expense of over-simplification, I must mention that the Condor has a starter generator, flaps, brakes, blind flying instruments, etc.

The Condor, built by Rollasons, is the lower powered D.61 version powered by a 75-h.p. Continental flat four engine driving a two blade wooden airscrew. This does not leave an awful lot of power in reserve, by present day standards, and it is proposed to fit one of the subsequent Condors with the 90/100-h.p. Continental, specified for the D.62. This would be a very sound idea, particularly when the 0-200 Continental is available through Rolls-Royce.

The Condor is currently flying with a weight restriction in order to keep it within the weight limit of the Permit to Fly of 1,200-1bs. This " flrst prototype " is a little overweight on the design empty weight, largely due to a little confusion on the drawings, which has now been sorted out, and the benefits of which have been passed on to the Popular Flying Association by Rollasons. Due to this overweight and the permit limit, the Condor can only, at present, be flown solo, but Mr. Norman Jones is tackling the weight problem with his usual vigour and has already made some sizeable reductions.

Entering the cockpit, ono is irnmediately struck by a general feeling of "airiness" due, no doubt, to the large amount of perspex supported by small diameter steel tubes which surround it. Entry is made through upward swinging doors by stepping over tl"re low cockpit sides and alter settling in the very comfortable seats, it becomes quite a surprise to find such a roomy cockpit on an aeroplane of only 30-ft. span. There are rnany aircraft with side by side seating which besides being larger than the Condor have much less spacious seating arrangements. Behind the two seats is a sizeable baggage space.

The " prototype " as flown has a full flying panel with the exception of a V.S.I. These were arranged in a somewhat haphazard fashion that will, no doubt, be tidied up on subsequent aircraft. The engine instruments were in general on the starboard side and the flight instruments on the port. Controls were a set of identical knobs for carb heat, master switch, throttle, etc. The dual controls consist of a U-shaped stick pivoted centrally, which appeared to give a rather odd action in

Basic Data

Span 30 ft. Length 2lft. 6ins. Wing drea 134.5 s(t. Ji. Weight (empty) 820lbs; gross l376lbs. (design values).

Per.formance: Cruise 88 kls. Max. Dive Speed l4l kts. Climb 689 ft.l mins. Stall2S kts. Range 3AA miks.

Popular Flying, November-December, 1961, thc lateral planc lrut this proved i { tice and the flap lcver situateh be- ,, ,r,i ,,,,,,,,,,,,,.f,,.l.

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Starting up is sirnply a case o1 pressing "the bLrttori, 'the engine ,,,,.,,,r,,,;ijr