Monocoupe 90
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The Monocoupe 90 was a two-seat, light cabin airplane built by Donald A. Luscombe for Monocoupe Aircraft.Eden and Moeng 2002 p. 993 The first Monocoupe (Model 5) was built in an abandoned church in
Davenport, Iowa Davenport ( ) is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. Davenport had a population of 101,724 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cen ...
, and first flew on April 1, 1927.Virginia Aviation Museum
accessed 30 September 2007
Various models were in production until the late 1940s.


Development

The ''Monocoupes'' were side-by-side two-seat lightplanes of mixed wood and steel-tube basic construction with fabric covering. A braced high-wing
monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple wings. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
with fixed tailskid landing gear, and the reverse curve rear fuselage lines that were to become one of the signature identifier features of the Monocoupes. The fuselage framework was built up of welded steel tubing in a rigid, triangular-framed
Warren truss In structural engineering, a Warren truss or equilateral truss is a type of truss employing a weight-saving design based upon Triangle, equilateral triangles. It is named after the British engineer James Warren (engineer), James Warren, who pat ...
form for the side panel structures, heavily faired to shape with dural metal sheet formers and wooden fairing strips. The wings were built up of solid
spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' ( ), a genus of about 40 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal (taiga) regions of the Northern hemisphere. ''Picea'' ...
spars with wing ribs of
basswood ''Tilia americana'' is a species of tree in the family Malvaceae, native to eastern North America, from southeast Manitoba east to New Brunswick, southwest to northeast Oklahoma, southeast to South Carolina, and west along the Niobrara River to ...
webs and spruce cap-strips. The leading edges were covered with dural metal sheet and the entire framework was covered in fabric.Airventure Museum
accessed 2 October 2007
The aircraft was powered originally by either a 60 hp (45 kW)
Anzani Anzani was an engine manufacturer founded by the Italian Alessandro Anzani (1877–1956), which produced proprietary engines for aircraft, cars, boats, and motorcycles in factories in Britain, France and Italy. Overview From his native Italy, ...
engine or the unsuccessful 65 hp (48 kW) Detroit Air-Cat radial. The Model 22 was the first light aircraft awarded a
type certificate A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). Certification confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production is in compliance w ...
(number 22) and in 1930 it was fitted with the Velie M-5 62 hp (46 kW) five-cylinder radial engine to become the Model 70. In 1930 Monocoupe introduced the Model 90 with refined lines and a fuselage that was slightly longer and wider, this being sold in Model 90 and Model 90A versions with a 90 hp (67 kW)
Lambert R-266 Lambert may refer to People *Lambert (name), a given name and surname * Lambert, Bishop of Ostia (–1130), became Pope Honorius II * Lambert, Margrave of Tuscany (fl. 929–931), also count and duke of Lucca *Lambert (pianist), stage-name of Ger ...
radial engine. The Monocoupe 90 DeLuxe introduced trailing edge flaps, wheel speed fairings and an improved engine cowling. The Model 90AF was fitted with a 115 hp (86 kW)
Franklin Franklin may refer to: People and characters * Franklin (given name), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (surname), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (class), a member of a historic ...
engine. The Model 90AL had Avco Lycoming engines. The Model 90J was introduced in 1930 with a 90 hp (67 kW) Warner Scarab Jr engine. The final two high performance Monocoupe models developed from the Model 90 were the Model 110 with a 110 hp (82 kW)
Warner Scarab The Warner Scarab is an American seven-cylinder radial engine, radial aircraft engine, that was manufactured by the Warner Aircraft Corporation of Detroit, Michigan in 1928 through to the early 1940s. In military service the engine was designate ...
, and the Model 125 with a 125 hp (93 kW)
Kinner B-5 The Kinner B-5 was a popular five cylinder American radial engine for light general and sport aircraft of the 1930s. Design and development The B-5 was a development of the earlier K-5 with slightly greater power and dimensions. The main change ...
engine. The
Monocoupe 110 Special The Monocoupe 110 Special is a United States sporting and racing aircraft of the 1930s and 1940s. Development The Monocoupe 110 was developed from the Monocoupe 90 using the higher-powered 110 h.p. Warner Scarab radial engine housed in a cowl ...
was a clipped wing racing aircraft. The
Monocoupe Monocoupe Aircraft was a manufacturer of light airplanes originally produced in the late 1920s and 30s.Richard Harris"Monocoupe: Speed for the Common Man" ''AAHS Journal,'' Vol. 56, No. 4 (Winter 2011), American Aviation Historical Society They i ...
Model 70V of 1932, had the low-powered 65 hp (48-kW) Velie M-5 engine reintroduced to provide more economical operation at the cost of a fall in performance. In 1941 ''Monocoupe'' combined with three other companies to form Universal Molded Products Corp. 20 Model 90AFs were bought by the
USAAF The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
, who designated them the Universal L-7, for transfer to the
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. One was lost during delivery.Fanatique de l'aviation n°370 Aircraft production halted during World War II, resuming briefly in 1948-1950 under the name Monocoupe Airplane and Engine Corporation. Bell, 2002, p. 207 The last of this remarkable line of two-seat aircraft was the Monocoupe D-145 of 1934, a high-performance version with a slightly enlarged cabin and powered by a 145 hp (108 kW) Warner Super Scarab engine.


Variants

;Monocoupe Model 5: prototype ;
Monocoupe Model 22 The Central States Aircraft Model 22, Velie Monocoupe, or Monocoupe Model 22 was the first in a series of small, high-performance high-wing monoplanes from Monocoupe Aircraft. Development The Monocooupe model 22 was drawn up by Clayton Folker ...
: 60 hp (45 kW)
Anzani Anzani was an engine manufacturer founded by the Italian Alessandro Anzani (1877–1956), which produced proprietary engines for aircraft, cars, boats, and motorcycles in factories in Britain, France and Italy. Overview From his native Italy, ...
engine or 65 hp (48 kW)
Detroit Air Cat Detroit ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 census, making it the 26th-most populous city ...
radial. ; Monocoupe Model 70: Velie M-5 62 hp (46 kW) five-cylinder radial engine ;Monocoupe Model 113: revised landing gear and a number of improvements ;Monocoupe Monoprep: dedicated trainer similar to the Monocoupe 113 ;Monocoupe Monosport Model 1: air racing model, had a 110 hp (82 kW) Warner Scarab seven-cylinder radial engine ;Monocoupe Monosport Model 2: air racing model, had a 100 hp (75 kW)
Kinner K-5 The Kinner K-5 was a popular engine for light general and sport aircraft developed by Winfield B. 'Bert' Kinner. With the boom in civilian aviation after Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight the K-5 sold well. The K-5 was a rough running but ...
radial engine ;Monocoupe Model 90: longer wider fuselage ;Monocoupe Model 90A: 90 hp (67 kW)
Lambert R-266 Lambert may refer to People *Lambert (name), a given name and surname * Lambert, Bishop of Ostia (–1130), became Pope Honorius II * Lambert, Margrave of Tuscany (fl. 929–931), also count and duke of Lucca *Lambert (pianist), stage-name of Ger ...
radial engine ;Monocoupe 90 DeLuxe: trailing edge flaps, wheel speed fairings and an improved engine cowling ;Monocoupe Model 90AF: 115 hp (86 kW)
Franklin Franklin may refer to: People and characters * Franklin (given name), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (surname), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (class), a member of a historic ...
engine ;Monocoupe Model 90AL: Avco Lycoming engine ;Monocoupe Model 90AW: with 145 hp Warner engine, Wing Span 32 ft. Length 20 ft. 5.75 in. ;Monocoupe Model 110: 110 hp (82 kW)
Warner Scarab The Warner Scarab is an American seven-cylinder radial engine, radial aircraft engine, that was manufactured by the Warner Aircraft Corporation of Detroit, Michigan in 1928 through to the early 1940s. In military service the engine was designate ...
engine ; Monocoupe Model 110 Special: racing model, 110 hp (82 kW)
Warner Scarab The Warner Scarab is an American seven-cylinder radial engine, radial aircraft engine, that was manufactured by the Warner Aircraft Corporation of Detroit, Michigan in 1928 through to the early 1940s. In military service the engine was designate ...
engine, shorter span ;Monocoupe Model 125: 125 hp (93 kW)
Kinner B-5 The Kinner B-5 was a popular five cylinder American radial engine for light general and sport aircraft of the 1930s. Design and development The B-5 was a development of the earlier K-5 with slightly greater power and dimensions. The main change ...
engine ;Universal L-7: military version of the Model 90AF.U.S. Army Aircraft 1908-1946 ;Monocoupe D-145: 145 hp (108 kW) Warner Super Scarab engine.


Operators

The majority of the Monocoupe 90s to be built were sold to and flown by private pilot owners. ; *
Spanish Republican Air Force The Spanish Republican Air Force was the air arm of the Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic, the legally established government of Spain between 1931 and 1939. Initially divided into two branches: Military Aeronautics () and Naval Aeron ...
- Monocoupe 90 A ; *
Free French Forces __NOTOC__ The French Liberation Army ( ; AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (; FFL) during World War II. The military force of Free France, it participated ...
, later
Armée de l'Air The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...
- Monocoupe 90 AF 19 delivered early 1943 by sea to Abu Sweir,
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, to be reassembled by RAF MU 109. Main delivery to create a flying school (GE 11) in Rayack,
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, opening September 1, 1943. The Monocoupe 90 was too sensitive to be used for basic training and many accidents occurred until school disbandment January 4, 1944. One aircraft survived the war and remained on the French civil register until written-off in 1962.Fanatique de l'aviation n°371 5 aircraft delivered to
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in early September 1943 and operated by ''Escadrille d'Avions Sanitaires et de Liaison'' (EASL = Liaison and Medical Flight) based at Ivato. EASL became ''Escadrille de Liaison et de Commandement'' (ELC) on January 1, 1944, then SAL-51 and last SLA-50. The last two Monocoupes were sold to local aéro-club in 1948.


Specifications (Model 90A)


See also


References

;Notes ;Bibliography * Bell, Dana ed. ''The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Directory of Airplanes their Designers and Manufacturers''. Stackpole Books Mechanicsburg, PA, 2002. . * Eden, Paul and Moeng, Soph, eds. ''The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft''. London: Amber Books Ltd., 2002. . * Fahey, James C. ''U.S. Army Aircraft 1908-1946''. Ships and Aircraft, Falls Church, VA. 1946. * Simpson, Rod. ''Airlife's World Aircraft'', Airlife Publishing, 2001.
"Specifications of American Airplanes"
''
Aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...
'', March 1936, Vol. 35, no. 3. pp. 82–85. Registration required * Swanborough, F. G. and Bowers, Peter M.''United States Military Aircraft Since 1909''. Putnam New York, 1964. . * *


External links


Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome's Monocoupe 90







Monocoupe Brochure
{{USAF liaison aircraft 1930s United States civil utility aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1927 90 Monocoupe utility aircraft Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear Single-engined piston aircraft