ID of aircraft over APA today?

Bluedharma

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone is haveing a great weekend.

I saw this today high above APA (Colorado) heading West.

I have not seen anything like it before.

I could use a little ID help. Anyone know?

:) It looked like an air-tractor with two wings. :)

Really, I have no clue. French? Italian?

Anyone?

DougRobertson

Paul, How about American? What you have beautifully photographed is the very rare Eagle Aircraft EAGLE 300 with Lycoming IO-540-M1B5D 300 Hp engine driving a three-blade CS prop.

There also was a similar Eagle Aircraft EAGLE 220 with Continental W670 220 Hp radial engine. The agricultural applicator aircraft uses large span, narrow chord tapered biplane wings based on advanced sailplane technology. Spraybooms form the trailing edge of the lower wings. The aircraft uses spoiler technology for roll control. These are outboard on the lower wings only. Conventional ailerons with booster tabs are on the upper wings. Single seat with enclosed canopy behind the upper wing, which is positive staggered. The chemical hopper forward of the pilot holds 250 gallons. Wingspan is 55 feet on each wing. Max takeoff weight is 5,400 pounds. Wing loading is 14 pounds/square foot and power loading is 18 pounds/horsepower for the 300 Hp version. Max working speed is 115 mph for the 300 Hp EAGLE. Power on stall speed is 51 mph.

These were built in a dedicated new structure adjacent to Bellanca's plant in Alexandria, MN first under contract with Bellanca and then by the Eagle Aircraft Company there with hired Bellanca employees. Eagle was based in Boise, ID. The first aircraft was delivered in 1980 to a California flight service company. They are registered in the Restricted category. Truly a Rara Avis!

There appear to be 10 on the FAA register, listed as Eagle Aircraft Company-Bellanca DW-1s. That might stand for distributor wing.

Bluedharma

Doug,

Happy Memorial Day! Thank you very,very much!!!!

This one was driving me crazy.

I contacted several people about this one, and no one knew.

I should have just sent it to you right away. I should have known that you would have the answer.

It was very high, heading North-West over APA. I had my 500mm out and started taking pictures. Still had a hard time getting the details. Very quiet, and very slow moving. I could see from my "camera display" after the picture that it had an enclosed canopy. At that point, I had no clue at all.

Thank you very much for the ID on this. I will post the details on my Flickr.com account!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluedharma/3560736760/

Best Regards,

Paul

stantonite

Doug -

Nice work sorting that one out

Looks like one of our members got a nice ground shot last year of the type

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/166712.html

Terry Fletcher

Bluedharma

Terry,

Wow! That is it! Thanks guys!

KregAXN

You are a very, very lucky guy. I'm from the home of the Eagle, Alexandria, MN, and I have yet to see the "other hometown plane". : Then again I haven't really got outta the state to spot much. But someday I'll see one!

DougRobertson

Paul and Terry, Thank you very much-glad I made your day. Always here to help.

For KregAXN, there is one registered in Minnesota-look for N8800W; another is registered in Wisconsin-look for N8809J; and finally, in the state where I was born-South Dakota has one-look for N8807Z. I was raised in Minnesota; learned to fly there but left for good in 1966-way before these aircraft were constructed. Your other "home" aircraft, of course, are mainly the Bellanca Vikings. In Experimental aircraft, we cannot overlook the Father of the Homebuilt Aircraft Movement-Bernard Pietenpol of tiny Cherry Grove near Spring Valley, Minnesota and his best-known Air Camper, popular still today.

I have more info on the Eagle 220, 300 and DW-1 as they are known to the FAA, if anyone has a specific question. The Continental W670 220 Hp was an option. Don't know that any buyer chose that. In cropdusting, power, climb rate and useful load are the names of the game. A dozen or more Eagle cropdusters were built.

KregAXN

Thanks for that info Doug. Where were you from here in Minnesota?

JohnLittle

Paul is being modest, he first commented to me that it looked like a duster of some kind.

I pegged it for some older foreign job.

Great first catch Paul, and Doug a big thanks for filling in all of the details....my 300mm just did not get me anywhere as close as Pauls 500mm did.

John L.

DougRobertson

Paul,

You might tell that commenter on Flickr that the EAGLE 300 is hardly a new design. It was designed under Chief Designer Dean Wilson before the mid 1979 contract agreement with Belllanca to manufacture it in production. Later, 72 employees of Bellanca were hired by Eagle Aircraft Company to produce it after the Bellanca production contract expired. Production aircraft were built in 1980, 1981 and 1982.

It was not an inexpensive or entry-level ag aircraft. The prototype Eagle 220 flew with the Gulf Coast conversion of the W-670-6N 220 Hp Continental radial engine with a Hartzell two-blade adjustable-pitch prop. The EAGLE 300 with six-cylinder Lycoming had a Hartzell three-blade constant-speed prop. Internal and external polyurethane anti-corrosion protection was standard. Air-conditioning, heating and night operation features were available along with many other options, even a baggage compartment.

Bluedharma

Thanks Doug!

I let him know...

I have to say, it was a different sight to see over APA.

Both John Little and I were watching it come out of the sun and head North-West. Hard to see in the glare. Too bad I couldn't get some close up shots of it.

Best Regards,

DougRobertson

Paul,

That side view of N8801X is a bit disarming without a human in perspective next to it to show its substantial size. The EAGLE 300 is 27'6" long and 10'7" high-quite a climb to refuel the upper wing center tank with wingtip fuel tanks optional. Several of your excellent in-flight photos show the booster tabs on the upper ailerons if you look closely. The 55' wingspan would have to be taken into account in 180 degree climbing turns at the ends of a field being sprayed. This is one big ag plane that can lay a wide swath per pass

DougRobertson

In retrospect, in the official FAA designation for this aircraft-DW-1 no doubt stands for Dean Wilson-the aircraft's chief designer, perhaps his first aircraft design? In any event, he combined several then cutting edge aerodynamic features in this capable and most unusual very large cropduster.

The Distributor Wing DW-1 is actually another unrelated cropduster design of a different company-Aerial Distributors, Inc. who first used the term DW-1, prior to Eagle Aircraft Company's DW-1 use. Just thought I should clear that up.

Bluedharma

Thanks Doug!