Deland Travel Air 2000 Explained

The Deland Travel Air 2000 is an American homebuilt aircraft that was designed and produced by Orlando Helicopter Airways, an aircraft maintenance and repair company located in DeLand, Florida. When it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction and marketed under the "Deland" brand, named for the company's location. Plans were also available.^[1]

Design and development

The Deland Travel Air 2000 was developed from the original 1920s vintage Travel Air 2000, with the incorporation of numerous airframe improvements and the use of a modern engine.

The aircraft features an interplane strut, cabane strut and cable-braced biplane layout, a three-seat open cockpit, with two passengers accommodated in side-by-side configuration in the front open cockpit and the pilot in the rear cockpit with a windshield. The aircraft has fixed conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The Deland Travel Air 2000 is made from a combination of metal and wood, all covered in doped aircraft fabric. Its 34.71NaN1 span wing has a wing area of 296square feet. The standard engine used is the 3000NaN0 Thrust Mark VI powerplant.

The aircraft has a typical empty weight of 1450lb and a gross weight of 2590lb, giving a useful load of 1140lb. With full fuel of the payload for the pilot, passengers and baggage is 960lb.

The standard day, sea level, no-wind takeoff and landing roll with a 3000NaN0 engine is 2000NaN0.

Operational history

By 1998 the company reported that one kit had been sold, completed and was flying.

Notes and References

1. Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition, page 215. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998.