| CE.43 Guépard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The prototype CE 43 Guepard displayed at the June 1971 Paris Air Show in French Air Force Markings | |
| Role | four/five seat cabin monoplane |
| Manufacturer | Cerva |
| First flight | 18 May 1971 |
| Primary users | French Air Force private owner pilots |
| Number built | 44[1] |
| Developed from | Wassmer WA.4/21 |
The Cerva CE.43 Guépard is a 1970s French four/five seat cabin monoplane produced by Cerva.
Design and development[]
The Cerva CE.43 Guépard (English: Cheetah) is an all-metal version of the Wassmer WA.4/21. The WA.4/21 prototype first flew in March 1967. Construction is a steel-tube with a fabric covered fuselage and plywood-covered wing. Wassmer decided to produce an alternate all-metal version and teamed up with Siren SA to form a joint-company known as Consortium Europeén de Réalisation et de Ventes d'Avions (CERVA). The two aircraft have identical dimensions but the all-metal Guépard is heavier. The prototype Guépard was first flown in May 1971 and was exhibited at the 1971 Paris Air Show. The aircraft was certified on 1 June 1972 and the French government ordered five aircraft for the Service de la Formation Aéronautique (SFA) and 18 aircraft for the Centre D'Essais en Vol (CEV) of the French Air Force. First deliveries to private customers began in 1975 and by the time production ended in 1976 44 aircraft had been produced with some being exported including to Finland.
Components for the Guépard were manufactured by Siren at Argenton-sur-Creuse and final assembly, equipment fit and flight testing was carried out by Wassmer at Issoire. Two new versions were developed, the CE.44 Couguar (English: Cougar) powered by a 285 hp (213 kW) Continental Tiara 6-285 engine, and the CE.45 Léopard powered by a 310 hp (231 kW) Avco Lycoming TIO-540.[2] Development stopped when the Wassmer company went into liquidation in 1977.
Operators[]
France
- French Air Force (Centre D'Essais en Vol)
- French Navy
Specifications (CE.43 Guépard)[]
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 4 passengers
- Length: 7.85 m (25 ft 9 in)
- Wingspan: 10.00 m (32 ft 91⁄2 in)
- Height: 2.90 m (9 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 16.0 m2 (172 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 890 kg (1,962 lb)
- Max. takeoff weight: 1,460 kg (3,220 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Avco Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 flat-six piston, 250 hp (186 kw)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 320 km/h (172 knots, 198 mph)
- Range: 2,900 km (1,565 nmi, 1,800 mi)
- Service ceiling: 5,300 m (17,400 ft)
- Rate of climb: 5.5 m/s (1,080 ft/min)
References[]
- Simpson, Rod (2005). The General Aviation Handbook. Hinckley, England: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-222-5.
- Taylor, John W. R. (1976). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–1977. London: Jane's Yearbooks. ISBN 0-354-00538-3.
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
The original article can be found at Cerva CE.43 Guépard and the edit history here.