The Volmer VJ-22 Sportsman is an American homebuilt

amphibious aircraft An amphibious aircraft, or amphibian, is an aircraft that can Takeoff, take off and Landing, land on both solid ground and water. These aircraft are typically Fixed-wing aircraft, fixed-wing, though Amphibious helicopter, amphibious helicopte ...

. The Sportsman is a two-seat high-winged

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 ...

of wood and fabric construction, with over 100 built by 1993.

Development and design

Volmer Jensen, a successful designer of

sailplane A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the leisure activity and sport of gliding (also called soaring). This unpowered aircraft can use naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to gain altitude. Sailplan ...

s, designed the two-seat amphibious VJ-22 in 1957.McCarrel, Bill.
The Volmer VJ-22 Sportsman
. ''The Seaplane Pilots Association''. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2010. The new aircraft, at first called the ''Chubasco'', made its first flight on 22 December 1958.Taylor 1976, p.541. The VJ-22 is a high-winged

, using the wings from an

Aeronca Champion The Aeronca Model 7 Champion, commonly known as the "Champ", or "Airknocker",Bellanca Aircraft Corp, " d: "The Champ only $4,995"" ''Flying Annual & Pilots' Guide,'' 1971 ed., pp.36–37 iff-Davis NY is a single-engine light airplane with a ...

or Chief, with a new

flying boat A flying boat is a type of seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in having a fuselage that is purpose-designed for flotation, while floatplanes rely on fuselage-mounted floats for buoyancy. Though ...

hull of

mahogany Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Universit ...

plywood Plywood is a composite material manufactured from thin layers, or "plies", of wood veneer that have been stacked and glued together. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured boards, which include plywood, medium-density fibreboa ...

, waterproofed with

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...

cloth. The aircraft's single engine, normally a pusher of between 85 hp (63 kW) and 100 hp (75 kW), is mounted on pylons above the wing centre section. The engine can also be mounted in tractor configuration and engines of up to 135 hp (101 kW) have been used successfully. A retractable tailwheel undercarriage is provided. The pilot and passenger sit side by side under an enclosed canopy, and are provided with dual controls.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 126. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011.

Operational history

While Jensen attempted unsuccessfully to get the Sportsman built commercially, plans for the VJ-22 were made available to amateur builders, with 889 plans sold and over 100 completed by 1993. The Volmer Club of America is a 501(c)4 organization established by Robert Albrecht of Louisiana to continue the legacy of the VJ-22 and make plans and specifications for its construction available to the public.

Specifications (85 hp engine)

Notes

References

* Lambert, Mark. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993-94''. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. . * Taylor John W. R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976-77''. London:Macdonald and Jane's, 1976. .

External links