American Aerolights Double Eagle Explained

The American Aerolights Double Eagle is a two-seat ultralight aircraft that can also be configured for single pilot operation.

Development

The Double Eagle is a modification to the Eagle ultralight designed by Larry Newman in 1980. The aircraft features a stall-resistant canard design with a two axis control system. The entire aircraft could be folded into an 11 ft by 9 inch package for car transport.[1]

Operational history

The Monterey Park, California Police Department was the first police department to fly an ultralight aircraft for patrols, using the Double Eagle in 1982. The program lasted six months and was shelved after seven engine failures in flight. An example of the aircraft resides in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center,[2] and at one time also in the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: American Aerolights Double Eagle. 20 October 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101019020732/http://airventuremuseum.org/collection/aircraft/American%20Aerolights%20Double%20Eagle.asp. 19 October 2010 . live.
  2. Web site: American Aerolights Double Eagle. 20 October 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100905033000/http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?id=A19850407000. 5 September 2010 . live.