Under development since August 1987, apart from a seven-month break in 1987 to concentrate on the GA-1 sailplane, the Eagle 300 is a light utility aircraft with good short-field and cruising performance. Construction uses the same LPET (low pressure elevated temperature) technique as the GA-1, and the Eagle 300 is to be certificated to FAR Pt 23 by both the South African DCA and the US FAA. The prototype (ZS-WLD) made its first flight on 4 April 1990, and production is expected to start in early 1992.

TYPE: Single-engined STOL light utility aircraft.

WINGS: Cantilever high-wing monoplane. Wing sections NACA 64-313 at root, Wortmann FX-60-126 at tip. Dihedral 3°. Incidence 1° 30'. Fowler flaps (35° travel) and mechanically actuated, aerodynamically and mass balanced ailerons. No tabs. Single-spar (unidirectional glassfibre) structure; all other components manufactured from oven-cured pre-impregnated glassfibre cloth with Nomex honeycomb core.

FUSELAGE: Conventional box-section structure. Cabin has steel frame in wing attachment area; construction otherwise similar to that of wings.

TAIL UNIT: Conventional configuration, of similar construction to wings. Mechanically actuated one-piece elevator and rudder. Electrically actuated trim tab in starboard half of elevator.

LANDING GEAR: Non-retractable type, with self-sprung (composite) mainwheel legs and steel tube sprung, fully castoring tailwheel. Cleveland hydraulic mainwheel brakes. Float and ski gear to be developed.

POWER PLANT: One 224 kW (300 hp) Textron Lycoming IO-540-K flat-six engine, driving an MT-9V three-blade constant-speed propeller. Fuel in single tank in each wing, combined capacity 330 litres (87.2 US gallons; 72.6 Imp gallons); gravity fuelling point in top of each tank. Oil capacity 13.6 litres (3.6 US gallons; 3 Imp gallons).

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot and up to five passengers. Three forward hinged single doors (front, port and starboard, and rear starboard), plus upward hinged large cargo door on port side at rear. Passenger seats can be removed for carriage of cargo.

SYSTEMS: Hydraulic system for brakes only; 12V DC electrical system with battery and alternator.

AVIONICS: Narco IFR instrumentation standard.

DIMENSIONS, EXTERNAL:

• Wing span: 111.20 m (36 ft 9 in)
• Wing chord: at root: 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
• at tip: 1.00 m (3 ft 3¼ in)
• Wing aspect ratio: 7.74
• Length overall: 7.90 m (25 ft 11 in)
• Fuselage: Max width: 1.15 m (3 ft 9¼ in)
• Height over tail-fin (static): 2.50 m (8 ft 2½ in)
• Tailplane span: 3.50 m (11 ft 5¾ in)
• Wheel track: 2.50 m (8 ft 2½ in)
• Wheelbase: 6.00 m (19 ft 8¼ in)
• Propeller diameter: 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in)
• Propeller ground clearance (tail down): 0.67 m (2 ft 2¼ in)
• Passenger doors (front, each):
• Height: 1.07 m (3 ft 6 in)
• Width: 0.75 m (2 ft 5½ in)
• Height to sill: 0.90 m (2 ft 11½ in)
• Passenger door (rear, stbd):
• Height: 1.05 m (3 ft 5¼ in)
• Width: 0.75 m (2 ft 5½ in)
• Height to sill: 0.70 m (2 ft 3½ in)
• Cargo door: Height: 1.05 m (3 ft 5¼ in)
• Width: 1.27 m (4 ft 2 in)
• Height to sill: 0.70 m (2 ft 3½ in)

DIMENSIONS, INTERNAL:

• Cabin: Length: 1.80 m (5 ft 10¾ in)
• Max width: 1.05 m (3 ft 5¼ in)
• Max height: 1.33 m (4 ft 4½ in)
• Floor area: 1.89 m² (20.34 sq ft)
• Volume: 2.46 m³ (86.8 cu ft)

AREAS:

• Wings, gross: 16.20 m² (174.4 sq ft)
• Ailerons (total): 0.93 m² (10.01 sq ft)
• Flaps (total): 0.72 m² (7.75 sq ft)
• Fin. incl dorsal fin: 0.88 m² (9.47 sq ft)
• Rudder: 0.914 m² (9.84 sq ft)
• Tailplane: 1.581 m² (17.02 sq ft)
• Elevator, incl tab: 1.56 m² (16.79 sq ft)

WEIGHTS AND LOADINGS:

• Weight empty, equipped: 900 kg (1,984 lb)
• Max fuel weight: 256 kg (564 lb)
• Max T-O and landing weight: 1,750 kg (3,858 lb)
• Max wing loading: 108.02 kg/m² (22.12 lb/sq ft)
• Max power loading: 7.83 kg/kW (12.86 lb/hp)

PERFORMANCE (at max T-O weight):

• Never-exceed speed (V_NE) at S/L: 221 knots (409 km/h; 254 mph)
• Max level speed at S/L: 162 knots (300 km/h; 186 mph)
• Max cruising speed at S/L: 140 knots (259 km/h; 161 mph)
• Stalling speed at S/L, flaps down, engine idling: 57 knots (106 km/h; 66 mph)
• Max rate of climb at S/L: 405 m (1,330 ft)/min
• Service ceiling: not yet determined
• T-O run: 160 m (525 ft)
• T-O to 15 m (50 ft): 256 m (840 ft)
• Landing from 15 m (50 ft): 270 m (886 ft)
• Landing run: 120 m (394 ft)
• Range with max fuel, 15% reserves: 588 nm (1,090 km; 677 miles)

The article appears in the following publication:
Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1991-92. Jane's Information Group Ltd. 1991. ISBN: 0-7106-0965-5