Croses Pouplume

Pouplume
Role	Ultralight
Manufacturer	homebuilt
Designer	Emilien Croses
First flight	1960

The Croses Pouplume ("lousefeather") was an unusual ultralight aircraft developed in France in the 1960s. Inspired by Henri Mignet's Pou-du-Ciel design with its distinctive tandem wing layout, Croses set out to develop a similar aircraft to be powered by a single-cylinder motorcycle engine of around 6 kW (8 hp). The resulting machine, designated the EC-1 weighed only 108 kg (238 lb) empty, and flew around 1960. Like the Pou-du-Ciel, the Pouplume dispensed with traditional ailerons and elevators and pivoted the entire forward wing to provide pitch control.

The EC-1 was followed by the EC-2, a two-seat version powered by a conventional aero-engine, and the EAC-3, the definitive version marketed for homebuilding, again powered by a motorcycle engine. At least twelve examples of the latter had flown by 1977. A further development, the Pouplume Sport was intended to be powered by a 1500 cc Volkswagen air-cooled engine, and featured wings of reduced span. About 55 of this version were known to be under construction in 1977.

Variants

Croses EC-1 Pouplume

Croses EC-2 Pouplume

Croses EAC-3 Pouplume

Croses Pouplume Sport

Specifications (typical EC-3)

General characteristics

• Crew: One pilot
• Length: 4.70 m (15 ft 3 in)
• Wingspan: 7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)
• Height: 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
• Wing area: 16.0 m² (172 ft²)
• Empty weight: 110 kg (243 lb)
• Gross weight: 220 kg (485 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Monet-Goyon motorcycle engine, 6 kW (8 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 70 km/h (44 mph)

References

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 272. ISBN 0710607105. 
• Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1977-78. London: Jane's Jearbooks. pp. 486. 
• "Croses Pouplume: Monomoteur ultra-léger". Aviation Magazine (341): 49. 15 February 1962. 

See also