Gatard AG-02 Poussin
The Gatard AG-02 Poussin ("Chick") is a French single-seat homebuilt designed by Albert Gatard and presented to the press in 1958 as plans for amateur constructors. Roughly the size of the contemporary Jodel D.9 Bebe, it pairs a plywood-and-fabric low-wing airframe with a 25-horsepower converted Volkswagen engine under a bubble canopy. Its most distinctive feature is an unconventional climb technique: lowering specially shaped flaps and retrimming the tailplane lets the Poussin climb steeply while the fuselage itself stays within about four degrees of level, trading extra flap drag for reduced fuselage drag. Amateur builders still complete examples today.
Did you know?
The Gatard Poussin is a French single-seat homebuilt that runs on a converted 25-horsepower Volkswagen engine and climbs with its flaps down.
Specifications
| Length | 4.5 m (15 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 6.4 m (21 ft) |
| Height | 1.5 m (5 ft) |
| Persons on board | 1 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 0.3 t |
| Service ceiling | 15,000 ft (4,572 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 12,000 ft (3,658 m) |
| Rate of climb | 435 ft/min (2.2 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 240 m (787 ft) |
| Landing distance | 270 m (886 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 30 l |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
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