Angel 44 was developed by The King's Engineering Fellowship (TKEF) through donations, and designed by Carl Mortenson, with Ed Mortenson as chief engineer. TKEF holds Type Certificate. Production Certificate awarded to Angel Aircraft Corporation on 23 September 2003. Plant covered 1300 sq m (14000 sq ft).
Three aircraft have been built by early 2004; none further by 18 months later.
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TYPE: Light utility twin-prop transport.
PROGRAMME: Design started November 1972; prototype construction began January 1977; prototype (N44KE) built on productiion tooling; first flight 13 January 1984; structural testing began 1990; certification to FAR Pt 23 (Normal category) for day, nightm VFR and IFR conditions gained 20 October 1992. Production began December 1993; second aircraft completed July 1994 but held in abeyance, pending acquisition of larger production premises. Second Angel eventually registered in August 2002 to Kansair Inc as N442KB, having been displayed at AirVenture, Oshkosh, in previous month. Third (N442KC) completed early 2004 and awarded airworthiness certificate on 24 February; company-owned. No further aircraft had been registered by late 2005.
[Travis's Note: One of my professors has been following the company's progress since inception, and tells me that the reason no other aircraft have been produced, and that very few are in service, is that the engines run on 100LL fuel, which is difficult to acquire in countries other than the US, especially developing nations where the aircraft is designed to function.]
DESIGN FEATURES: Designed partly, but not exclusively, for missionary aviation; other commercial uses include air taxi, air ambulance, air observation/patrol, fishery/pipeline/border inspection, tracking, mining/oil/rubber/forestry operations, ranching and firefighting control. Design goals include STOL capability, operation from soft and rough fields, easy repair in field, and easy loading of bulky cargo.
Vortex generators on wing outboard panels for enhanced lift; small wing endplates. Crashworthiness built and tested in key structures; seats dynamically tested to absorb 20 g vertically and 26 g horizontally; cabin structure includes areas of double-wall and tested for overturn impact survivability. Extra-large propeller spinners assist airflow around rear fuselage.
Wing section NACA 23018-23010 with modified leading-edge; sweepback 15*36' at leading-edge, 11* at quarter-chord; dihedral 5*24'; incidence 3* at root, -0*22' at tip.
FLYING CONTROLS: Manual. Actuation by cables. Almost full-span, hydraulically actuated semi-Fowler flaps deflecting to maximum 37*. Lateral control initiated by small ailerons at wingtips known as trimmerons (first 3 to 5* bank), further bank being induced by spoilers in form of 11 small plates immediately forward of flaps on each wing; elevators and rudder, both with horn balanced and trim tabs (one in each side of elevator).
STRUCTURE: Riveted aluminum alloy and welded 4130/4340 steel tube; wing has built-up capstrip spars and 19 die-formed ribs each side; broad-chord fin and rudder with large dorsal fin; CFRP spinners; GFRP/epoxy in some areas.
LANDING GEAR: Retractable tricycle type. Electrohydraulic retraction, mainwheels inward into wingroots (no wheel doors), nosewheel rearward. Emergency extension by gravity. Cleveland wheels; McCreary mainwheel tyres size 8.50-10 (pressure 2.41 bar; 35 lb/sq in), McCreary or Goodyear nosewheel tyre size 8.50-6 (pressure 1.03 bar; 15 lb/sq in). Hydraulic Cleveland disc brakes. Min ground turning radius 5.11 m (16 ft 9 in) due to fully-castoring nosewheel.
POWER PLANT: Two 224 kW (300 hp) Textron Lycoming IO-540-MIC5 flat-six engines, each driving a Hartzell HC-E3YR-2ATLL/FLC7468 three-blade, constant-speed (hydraulic), feathering pusher propeller. Two wing fuel tanks, gravity flow cross-fed, with total capacity 849 litres (224 US gallons; 187 Imp gallons). Refuelling point in top of each wing. Oil capacity 22.7 litres (6.0 US gallons; 5.0 Imp gallons).
ACCOMODATION: Acccomodation for two pilots and four passengers, rearmost facing sideways, others on three individual seats. Seats can be removed for carrying cargo, including four 208 litre (55 US gallon, 45.8 Imp gallon) drums. Four large windows and one smaller circular window on each side of cabin. Horizontally divided clamshell door on port side at front of cabin with folding step in lower element; emergency exit on starboard side. Heating and window air vents standard. Compartment for baggage at rear of fuselage, with door on port side.
SYSTEMS: Hydraulic system, with electric pump, for landing gear and flap actuation. Electrical system with two alternators includes 12 V DC battery in nose.
AVIONICS: IFR. Bendix/King and Garmin avionics, including twin com/nav transceivers, glideslope, ADF, transponder, ELT and GPS Weather radar, Loran C and HF com optional.
DIMENSIONS, EXTERNAL:
Wing span 12.16 m (39 ft 10 3/4 in)
Wing aspect ratio 7.06
Wing chord; at root 2.59 m (8 ft 6 in)
at tip 1.00 m (3 ft 3 1/2 in)
Length overall 10.21 m (33 ft 6 in)
Height overall 3.51 m (11 ft 6 in)
Tailplane span 5.30 m (17 ft 4 1/2 in)
Wheel track 3.95 m (12 ft 11 3/4 in)
Wheelbase 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in)
Propeller diameter 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Propeller ground clearance at T-O 0.23 m (9.01 in)
Cabin door (port, fwd): Height 0.91 m (3 ft 0 in)
Width 1.04 m (3 ft 5 in)
Height to sill 0.91 m (3 ft 5 in)
Baggage door: Height 0.41 m (1 ft 4 in)
Width 0.61 m (2 ft 0 in)
Height to sill 1.17 m (3 ft 10 in)
Emergency exit door (stbd, fwd): Height 0.48 m (1 ft 7 in)
Width 1.04 m (3 ft 5 in)
Max Height 1.32 m (4 ft 4 in)
DIMENSIONS, INTERNAL:
Cabin, incl flight deck:
Length 3.51 m (11 ft 6 in)
Max width 1.07 m (3 ft 6 in)
Max height 1.14 m (3 ft 9 in)
Volume 2.38 cu m (84.0 cu ft)
Baggage compartment volume (aft) 0.28 cu m (10 cu ft)
AREAS:
Wings, gross 30.94 sq m (225.4 sq ft)
Ailerons (total) 0.39 sq m (4.20 sq ft)
Trailing-edge flaps (total) 4.05 sq m (43.60 sq ft)
Spoilers (total) 0.37 sq m (4.00 sq ft)
Rudder, incl tab 1.41 sq m (15.15 sq ft)
Tailplane (total) 6.23 sq m (67.02 sq ft)
Elevators (total, incl tabs) 2.76 sq m (29.67 sq ft)
WEIGHTS AND LOADINGS:
Weight empty 1760 kg (3880 lbs)
Baggage capacity (rear) 91 kg (200 lbs)
Max fuel weight 612 kg (1350 lbs)
Max T-O and landing weight 2631 kg (5800 lbs)
Max wing loading 125.6 kg/m sq (25.73 lbs/sq ft)
Max power loading 5.87 kg/kW (9.67 lbs/hp)
PERFORMANCE:
Never-exceed speed (Vne) 209 kts (387 km/h; 240 mph)
Max level speed at S/L 180 kts (333 km/h; 207 mph)
Cruising speed at 65% power at FL115 169 kts (313 km/h; 195 mph)
Stalling speed, flaps and gear down:
power off 57 kts (106 km/h; 66 mph)
power on 51 kts (95 km/h; 59 mph)
Max rate of climb at S/L 410 m (1345 ft)/min
Rate of climb, OEI 60 m (196 ft)/min
Service ceiling 6265 m (20,560 ft)
Service ceiling, OEI 1580 m (5180 ft)
