The Hinchman H-1 Racer is a 1980s American single-seat autogyro designed by Hank Hincham with plans or a kit available from Hincham Aircraft Company for amateur construction.[1][2]
| H-1 Racer | |
|---|---|
| Role | Single-seat Autogyro Type of aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Hinchman Aircraft Company |
| Designer | Hank Hinchman |
| First flight | 1987 |
| Number built | 3 (1998) |
By 1998 the kit and plans were being offered by Winners Circle Engineering Inc. of Monrovia, Indiana.[2]
The aircraft was designed to comply with the US Experimental - Amateur-built aircraft rules. It features a single main rotor, a single-seat enclosed cockpit with a windshield, tricycle landing gear with wheel pants, hydraulic disk brakes and a self-aligning nosewheel, plus a tail caster. The acceptable power range is 47 to 120 hp (35 to 89 kW) and the standard engine used is a twin cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke, single-ignition 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503 engine in pusher configuration. The cabin width is 22 in (56 cm).[2]
The aircraft fuselage structure is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing has a full aerodynamic, bullet-shaped, composite cockpit fairing that adds 12 lb (5.4 kg) to the aircraft's empty weight. Its two-bladed rotor has a diameter of 25.0 ft (7.6 m) and an optional pre-rotator. The aircraft has a typical empty weight of 380 lb (170 kg) and a gross weight of 630 lb (290 kg), giving a useful load of 250 lb (110 kg). With full fuel of 5 U.S. gallons (19 L; 4.2 imp gal) the payload for the pilot and baggage is 220 lb (100 kg).[2]
The standard day, sea level, no wind, take off with a 50 hp (37 kW) engine is 500 ft (152 m) and the landing roll is 10 ft (3 m).[2]
The manufacturer estimated the construction time from the supplied kit as 150 hours.[2]
By 1998 the company reported that 100 plans and kits had been sold and three aircraft were completed and flying.[2]
In April 2015 one example was registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration to the designer.[3]
Data from Taylor[1]
General characteristics
Performance
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