Proto 2 (aircraft)

Proto-2
	Proto-2 aircraft
Role	Trainer aircraft
Manufacturer	Fabrica de avioane Astra
Designer	Ștefan Protopopescu; improved at the Astra Factory
First flight	1924
Introduction	1924
Retired	1930s?
Primary user	Romanian Air Force
Number built	25

Proto 2 was a training biplane manufactured at the Fabrica de avioane Astra in Arad in 1924.^[1]^[2]

Design and development[]

Following the accident of Ioan Sava, a new variant of the Proto 1 was created, called the Proto 2. The airplane kept the original design, but as a safety measure, the structure of the wings was strengthened by increasing the section of the spars and adding another pair of interplane struts.^[2]

Service[]

Two parked Proto-2 planes

After these improvements were made, the Astra Factory built 25 aircraft. The airplanes were then supplied to the Ministry of War, which assigned them to the Military Flying School of Tecuci.^[2]

Specifications[]

Data from Romanian Aeronautical Constructions 1905-1974^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 7 m (23 ft 0 in)
Wingspan: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
Height: 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 28.86 m² (310.6 sq ft)
Empty weight: 730 kg (1,609 lb)
Gross weight: 1,140 kg (2,513 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza water-cooled V-8 engine, 130 kW (180 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed wooden propeller

Performance

Maximum speed: 174 km/h (108 mph, 94 kn)
Stall speed: 79 km/h (49 mph, 43 kn)
Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,000 ft)
Time to altitude: 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 22 minutes

References[]

^ Nicolae Balotescu (1984). Istoria aviației române (in Romanian). Bucharest: Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică. pp. 207–209.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Ion Gudju, Gheroghe Iacobescu, Ovidiu Ionescu (1974). Romanian Aeronautical Constructions 1905-1974 (PDF). p. 96.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)

[istoria-a-1] Nicolae Balotescu (1984). Istoria aviației române (in Romanian). Bucharest: Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică. pp. 207–209.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)

[Romanian_Aeronautical_Constructions-2] Ion Gudju, Gheroghe Iacobescu, Ovidiu Ionescu (1974). Romanian Aeronautical Constructions 1905-1974 (PDF). p. 96.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)

[1]

[2]