| MJ-53 Autan | |
|---|---|
| Role | Homebuilt 2-seat touring aircraft | 
| National origin | France | 
| Designer | Marcel Jurca | 
| First flight | 1992 | 
| Number built | 2 | 
The Jurca MJ-53 Autan (named after a wind in Southern France) is a plans-built, low-wing, touring monoplane designed in France by Marcel Jurca.
Development
Jurca was initially reluctant to design a side-by-side configuration aircraft as he preferred single-seat or tandem-seat 'fighters', but he was convinced to do it by friends and potential customers.[1]
The Autan is a development of the wooden-construction Jurca MJ-5 Sirocco, with a new trapezoidal wing based on the Jurca MJ-7 Gnatsum, but with flaps. The fuselage is redesigned to accommodate a wider cabin, and the result is a shoulder width of 118 cm (3.87 ft), unusually spacious for this class of aircraft. The basic design is for a fixed undercarriage, but it allows for electrically or hydraulically powered retractable gear. For reasons of weight, aerobatics are preferably done only with the fixed gear.[1]
Two prototypes have been built, both with electrically-powered retractable landing gear, and with Lycoming O-360 180 hp (134 kW) engines. They made their first flights in 1992.[2]
In 1998 Jurca started studying a four-seat development, the MJ-58, but he was busy with developing the Jurca MJ-70 Gnatsum, and nothing came of it.[1]
Specifications (MJ-53 Autan)
Data from Avions Marcel Jurca[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
 - Capacity: one passenger
 - Length: 6.7 m (22 ft 0 in)
 - Wingspan: 7.6 m (24 ft 11 in)
 - Width: 1.18 m (3 ft 10 in)
 - Wing area: 12.21 m2 (131.4 sq ft)
 - Empty weight: 690 kg (1,521 lb)
 - Gross weight: 960 kg (2,116 lb)
 - Fuel capacity: 240 litres (53 imp gal; 63 US gal)
 - Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-360 , 120 to 150 kW (160 to 200 hp)
 - Propellers: 2-bladed
 
Performance
- Cruise speed: 240 km/h (150 mph, 130 kn)
 - Stall speed: 100 km/h (62 mph, 54 kn)
 - Never exceed speed: 350 km/h (220 mph, 190 kn)
 - Range: 1,400 km (870 mi, 760 nmi)
 - g limits: +6/-4
 - Rate of climb: 6.1 m/s (1,200 ft/min)
 - Wing loading: 79 kg/m2 (16 lb/sq ft)
 
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Les Avions Marcel Jurca 1956-2016 (PDF in French)". Avions Marcel Jurca. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
 - ↑ "Walter Van Tilborg Collection No 11907". 1000 Aircraft Photos. Retrieved 23 October 2019.