The Wassmer WA-51 Pacific is a French four-seat cabin monoplane designed and built by
Société Wassmer. Different-powered variants include the Wassmer WA-52 Europa and the Wassmer WA-54 Atlantic. It was the world's first
composite material-built aircraft.[1]
Design and development
Having manufactured
glass-fibre cowlings for
Bébé,
D112 and
D120 Jodels, increasing number of
glass-fibre parts for their
Javelot,
Bijave and
Super-Javelot gliders, and then
Super-IV aircraft, in 1966 Wassmer first flew the
glass-fibre WA-50 prototype, a single-engined four-seat cabin monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear. Originally designed as a three-seater powered by a 115cv
Potez engine, engine unavailability at the time resulted in a 150cv
LycomingO-320 being used instead and the aircraft becoming a 4-seater.[1] Using the same profile as the
Super-IV but only 8.6m span, and compensated with large
slotted flaps, the wings were formed from two moulded halves and contained two 70 litre fuel tanks.[1] The fuselage was also manufactured as two halves, and featured butterfly doors.
The design entered production as the WA-51 Pacific with a fixed tricycle landing gear. The low-wing cantilever monoplane was powered by a nose-mounted 150 hp (112 kW)
Lycoming O-320-E2A piston engine. A variant, powered by a 160 hp (119 kW)
Lycoming IO-320-B1A was called the WA-52 Europa. Further refinements produced the 180 hp (134 kW)
Lycoming O-360-A1LD powered WA-54 Atlantic.
Variants
WA-50
Prototype with retractable landing gear, first flew 22 March 1966, one built, registration F-WNZZ.[2] Fuselage is color molded with integral leading edge fuel tanks.[3]
WA-51 Pacific
Production version first flown in 1969 with a 150hp (112kW)
Lycoming O-320-E2A engine, 39 built.
WA-52 Europa
As WA-51 with a 160hp (119kW)
Lycoming IO-320-B1A engine, 59 built.
WA-53
Proposed variant with a 125hp Lycoming engine, not built.
WA-54 Atlantic
WA-51 with refinements and a 180hp (134kW)
Lycoming O-360-A1LD engine, 55 built.