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The American Gyro AG-4 Crusader is a small twin engine aircraft. The aircraft was designed as the Shelton Flying Wing in 1933 by Thomas Miles Shelton.[1]

AG-4 Crusader
Role	Type of aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	American Gyro Company
Designer	Thomas M. Shelton
First flight	1935
Introduction	1935

Design

The AG-4 was developed using wind tunnel tests. The American Gyro AG-4 Crusader is an aluminum skinned four place low-wing twin engine aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear, twin tail booms with individual rudders, and a teardrop shaped fuselage. The wing uses trailing edge flaps and 25 gallon fuel tanks are mounted in each wing root. Retractable landing gear were also tested on the model.[2]

Operational history

The prototype was painted a copper color with green leather seats. It was tested in 1935 at Denver Colorado.[3] The aircraft was funded from stock issued in the Crusader Aircraft Corporation, a parent of the American Gyro Company. The company folded in 1938 under securities fraud investigations before the Crusader could go into production[4]

Popular culture

Tootsietoy came out with a die-cast metal toy of the plane, No. 719 in its catalogue.[5] Hubley and Wyandotte also made toys based on the Shelton Flying Wing.

Variants

American Gyro AG-4 Crusader

American Gyro AG-6 Buccaneer

A six place variant design powered by Menasco engines[6]

Specifications (AG-4 Crusader)

Data from AAHS Journal

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 3 passengers
• Length: 21 ft 7 in (6.58 m)
• Wingspan: 36 ft (11 m)
• Height: 7 ft (2.1 m)
• Wing area: 206 sq ft (19.1 m²)
• Empty weight: 2,000 lb (907 kg)
• Gross weight: 3,000 lb (1,361 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 50 gal
• Powerplant: 2 × Menasco C4-S Inline four cylinder piston, 150 hp (110 kW) each
• Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

• Maximum speed: 202 kn (233 mph, 375 km/h) [7]
• Cruise speed: 180 kn (210 mph, 340 km/h) [7]
• Range: 520 nmi (600 mi, 970 km) [7]
• Service ceiling: 24,000 ft (7,300 m) [7]
• Rate of climb: 1,760 ft/min (8.9 m/s) [7]

References

Bibliography

• "American Gyro Crusader". Aero Digest. Vol. 26, no. 4. April 1935. p. 52. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
• Roca, Alexander Crusader: The Story of the Shelton Flying Wing, its Company, and its Creator Rare Birds Publishing; 1st edition (1989) ISBN 978-0962288609

External links

• YouTube video of test flight

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