I like the looks of this aircraft. Give it a pointier nose and squared-off flying surfaces and some wheel pants, and it would look like a modern design. Unfortunately the post-war General Aviation boom failed to materialise, and the Korean War limited available resources. It’s too bad. I can imagine further development to bring its flying characteristics more in line with conventional aircraft, and a Lycoming O-320 would have given it more pep than its Continental C-90. In reading Schiff’s article, its flying characteristics remind me a bit of what I’ve read about the Ercoupe. Lots of those are still flying, and I think the AG-14 would have appealed to the same kind of pilot that likes the Ercoupe.
Very cool. I think it’s a great starting point for a new LSA!
I’d de-couple the nose wheel, make the ailerons and rudder larger for more control, and of course a larger engine.
If we don’t limit ourselves to LSA regs, let’s go big! 4 seater with retractable gear! I don’t know if a pointy nose will change the c/d that much, but I think it would impede forward/downward view. I love this as a small observation platform. I know we’re getting into Skymaster territory if we go too big, but I like the bubble/egg fuselage.
That is so funny. My screensaver is simply a random rotation of pictures in a particular folder. Whenever I see something cool, interesting, strange, or funny, I save it into that folder.
Since I’m a plane guy, strange planes make it in there all the time, and one I’ve had for years is an Optica, although I never new the name. I started to post it as a cool example of a observation plane, but Windows Explorer won’t display half the thumbnails in the folder, so I couldn’t find it!
