American Gyro AG-4 Crusader
# American Gyro AG-4 Crusader

The American Gyro AG-4 Crusader is a small twin engine aircraft. The aircraft was designed as the Shelton Flying Wing in 1933 by Thomas Miles Shelton.

## Design

The AG-4 was developed using wind tunnel tests. The American Gyro AG-4 Crusader is an aluminum skinned four place low-wing twin engine aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear, twin tail booms with individual rudders, and a teardrop shaped fuselage. The wing uses trailing edge flaps and 25 gallon fuel tanks are mounted in each wing root. Retractable landing gear were also tested on the model.

## Operational history

The prototype was painted a copper color with green leather seats. It was tested in 1935 at Denver Colorado. The aircraft was funded from stock issued in the Crusader Aircraft Corporation, a parent of the American Gyro Company. The company folded in 1938 under securities fraud investigations before the Crusader could go into production

## Popular culture

Tootsietoy came out with a die-cast metal toy of the plane, No. 719 in its catalogue. Hubley and Wyandotte also made toys based on the Shelton Flying Wing.

## Variants

### American Gyro AG-6 Buccaneer

    A six place variant design powered by Menasco engines

## Specifications (AG-4 Crusader)

Data from AAHS Journal

General characteristics

* Crew: 1
* Capacity: 3 passengers
* Length: 21 ft 7 in (6.58 m)
* Wingspan: 36 ft (11 m)
* Height: 7 ft (2.1 m)
* Wing area: 206 sq ft (19.1 $m^2)$
* Empty weight: 2,000 lb (907 kg)
* Gross weight: 3,000 lb (1,361 kg)
* Fuel capacity: 50 gal
* Powerplant: 2 × Menasco C4-S Inline four cylinder piston, 150 hp (110 kW) each
* Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

* Maximum speed: 202 kn (233 mph, 375 km/h)
* Cruise speed: 180 kn (210 mph, 340 km/h)
* Range: 520 nmi (600 mi, 970 km)
* Service ceiling: 24,000 ft (7,300 m)
* Rate of climb: 1,760 ft/min (8.9 m/s)
