The Partenavia P.53 Aeroscooter was a 1950s Italian single-seat light aircraft fitted with a two-bladed rotor. It was designed by Luigi Pascale with Mario de Bernardi and built by Partenavia.[1]

P.53 Aeroscooter
Role	Experimental hybrid monoplane Type of aircraft
National origin	Italy
Manufacturer	Partenavia
Designer	Mario de Bernardi
First flight	2 April 1951
Status	On display
Number built	1
Variants	de Bernardi M.d.B. 02 Aeroscooter

Design and development

The Aeroscooter was low-wing monoplane powered by a 22 hp (16 kW) Ambrosini P-25 piston engine in the nose.[1] It had a fixed nose-wheel landing gear.[1] Above the enclosed single-seat cockpit a pylon was to have been fitted with an autorotating, unpowered two-bladed rotor which was to reduce the stalling speed and the rate-of-descent if the engine failed.[1]

Only one Aeroscooter was built and it first flew on 2 April 1951 without the rotor fitted.[1] The Aeroscooter survives and is on display at the Museo Storico Dell Aeronautico Militare Italiana. A two-seat derivative was produced by Mario de Baernardi as the de Bernardi M.d.B. 02 Aeroscooter.

Variants

• De Bernardi M.d.B. 02 Aeroscooter – The two seat follow on aircraft designed by De Bernardi.[2]

Specifications (Ambrosini engine, no rotor)

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1957–58[3]

General characteristics

• Capacity: 1
• Length: 5.12 m (16 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 8.28 m (27 ft 2 in)
• Height: 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
• Wing area: 8.3 m² (89 sq ft)
• Airfoil: NACA 63-series
• Empty weight: 180 kg (397 lb)
• Gross weight: 280 kg (617 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Ambrosini P-25 , 16 kW (22 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

• Maximum speed: 150 km/h (93 mph, 81 kn) at sea level
• Cruise speed: 120 km/h (75 mph, 65 kn)
• Stall speed: 60 km/h (37 mph, 32 kn)
• Range: 500 km (310 mi, 270 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 3,500 m (11,500 ft)
• Wing loading: 33.7 kg/m² (6.9 lb/sq ft)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Partenavia Aeroscooter.

Notes

Bibliography