The Jurca MJ-53 Autan (named after a wind in Southern France) is a plans-built, low-wing, touring monoplane designed in France by Marcel Jurca.

Development

Jurca was initially reluctant to design a side-by-side configuration aircraft as he preferred single-seat or tandem-seat 'fighters', but he was convinced to do it by friends and potential customers.[1]

The Autan is a development of the wooden-construction Jurca MJ-5 Sirocco, with a new trapezoidal wing based on the Jurca MJ-7 Gnatsum, but with flaps. The fuselage is redesigned to accommodate a wider cabin, and the result is a shoulder width of 118 cm (3.87 ft), unusually spacious for this class of aircraft. The basic design is for a fixed undercarriage, but it allows for electrically or hydraulically powered retractable gear. For reasons of weight, aerobatics are preferably done only with the fixed gear.[1]

Two prototypes have been built, both with electrically-powered retractable landing gear, and with Lycoming O-360 180 hp (134 kW) engines. They made their first flights in 1992.[2]

In 1998 Jurca started studying a four-seat development, the MJ-58, but he was busy with developing the Jurca MJ-70 Gnatsum, and nothing came of it.[1]

Specifications (MJ-53 Autan)

Data from Avions Marcel Jurca[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Capacity: one passenger
• Length: 6.7 m (22 ft 0 in)
• Wingspan: 7.6 m (24 ft 11 in)
• Width: 1.18 m (3 ft 10 in)
• Wing area: 12.21 m² (131.4 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 690 kg (1,521 lb)
• Gross weight: 960 kg (2,116 lb)
• Fuel capacity: 240 litres (53 imp gal; 63 US gal)
• Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-360 , 120 to 150 kW (160 to 200 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

• Cruise speed: 240 km/h (150 mph, 130 kn)
• Stall speed: 100 km/h (62 mph, 54 kn)
• Never exceed speed: 350 km/h (220 mph, 190 kn)
• Range: 1,400 km (870 mi, 760 nmi)
• g limits: +6/-4
• Rate of climb: 6.1 m/s (1,200 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 79 kg/m² (16 lb/sq ft)

References

External links

• Avions Marcel Jurca website