Howard 500
| Howard 500 | |
|---|---|
| File:Howard 500 N500LN Coventry 2000R.jpg Howard 500 N500LN demonstrating at Coventry airport, UK, in August 2000 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Executive aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Howard Aero Incorporated |
| Designer | Dee Howard[n 1] and Ed Swearingen |
| Number built | 22 |
| History | |
| First flight | September 1959 |
The Howard 500 is an American executive transport aircraft produced by Howard Aero Incorporated during the early 1960s.
Design and development
[edit | edit source]During the 1950s and '60s, Howard Aero Inc., led by Durrell U. "Dee" Howard,[n 1] had been remanufacturing military surplus Lockheed Lodestars and Lockheed Venturas for the executive market. Conversions of multi-engine World War II warplanes into business aircraft were popular at the time, and Howard came to prefer Lockheed designs, as he found heavy transports such as the C-47 to be too slow and light bombers such as the Douglas A-26 lacking in interior space.[1]
While the Howard 500 bears a strong resemblance to the Lodestar and Ventura, it is a substantially new design with a completely new fuselage designed from the outset for pressurization, unlike those of its Lockheed forebears.[1] The only major components taken directly from the Lockheeds were the outer wing panels (from surplus Venturas) and undercarriage (from PV-2 Harpoons). Howard purchased wing and fuselage jigs from Lockheed to use as patterns for jigs for the new aircraft, while the wings were designed wet. The pressurization system maintained a differential of 46.5 kilopascals (6.75 psi) which was greater than any other prop or turboprop executive aircraft on the market at the time and maintained a sea level cabin pressure at up to 16,000 feet (4,900 m).[2] The 500 is a luxurious aircraft with a spacious cabin, ample baggage capacity, a large door situated close to the ground for easy entry, and an onboard toilet.[1]
The engine chosen was a new, higher-power and lighter-weight version of the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 that had been developed for the Douglas DC-6. Propeller hubs were taken from F4U Corsairs, four-blade propellers and spinners from DC-7s. The Howard 500 could accommodate 10 to 14 passengers with a large window for each. Increased fuel tankage over the PV-2 Ventura gave a maximum range with full reserves of 2,600 miles (4,200 km). Maximum cruising speed was 350 mph (300 kn; 560 km/h) at 21,000 feet (6,400 m).[citation needed]
The prototype flew in September 1959, and type certification was achieved on February 20, 1963.[3] However, by the mid 1960s, turboprops and business jets with tricycle landing gear were being introduced by major manufacturers; while the Howard 500 compared favorably with these aircraft in terms of speed and range, it was an anachronistic taildragger with piston engines, resulting in limited sales.[1]
Twenty-two Howard 500s were produced initially, with a further eight being converted from earlier PV-2s to virtually the same standard.[4]
Operators
[edit | edit source]Commercial firms operating the aircraft included: Republic Steel, Green Construction of Indiana, Nello L. Teer Company, KF Airlines, Pacific Petroleums of Canada, Northern Natural Gas Company and U.S. Metal Refining Company.[5]
Surviving aircraft
[edit | edit source]
Of the 17 examples built to the full Howard 500 standard, two restored aircraft remained flying in 2019: aircraft registration N500HP (serial number 500-105,[6]) and N500LN, both owned by TP Aero and based in Anoka, Minnesota.[1]
Specifications
[edit | edit source]Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965-66 [3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Capacity: 10–14 passengers
- Length: 58 ft 5+1⁄2 in (17.818 m)
- Wingspan: 70 ft 4 in (21.44 m)
- Height: 13 ft 7 in (4.14 m)
- Wing area: 592.22 sq ft (55.019 m2)
- Aspect ratio: 8.35:1
- Empty weight: 23,000 lb (10,433 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 35,000 lb (15,876 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 1,550 US gal (1,290 imp gal; 5,900 L)
- Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CB17 eighteen-cylinder two-row radial engines, 2,500 hp (1,900 kW) each
- Propellers: 4-bladed Hamilton-Standard 24E60-7037A-50 propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 410 mph (660 km/h, 360 kn) at sea level
- Cruise speed: 350 mph (560 km/h, 300 kn) at 21,000 ft (6,400 m) (econ.cruise)
- Stall speed: 103 mph (166 km/h, 90 kn)
- Never exceed speed: 450 mph (720 km/h, 390 kn)
- Range: 2,600 mi (4,200 km, 2,300 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 35,000 ft (11,000 m)
- Rate of climb: 2,550 ft/min (13.0 m/s)
- Takeoff distance to 50 ft (15 m): 2,412 ft (735 m)
- Landing distance from 50 ft (15 m): 3,575 ft (1,090 m)
See also
[edit | edit source]Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Notes
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b Dee Howard and Howard Aero Inc. bear no relation to Ben Howard, racing pilot and aircraft company founder, nor to his company, Howard Aircraft Corporation.
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b c d e Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Marson, 2001, p. 26
- ^ a b Taylor 1965, pp. 243–244.
- ^ Marson, 2001, p. 27
- ^ Marson, 2001
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
Bibliography
[edit | edit source]- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]
- N500HP web site
- Howard 500 on Lockheed Twins site
- The Howard 500 Project - Development of Howard 500 model for Microsoft Flight Simulator, with extensive detail, photographs, and movies of real aircraft.
- Rare Vintage Bizliner Hits The Market