Jurca Gnatsum

Design & Development

The Gnatsum (Mustang spelled backward) is one of many wooden homebuilt designs from Romainian designer Marcel Jurca. Jurca, a Henschel Hs 129 pilot in World War II, expanded his warbird replica designs to include the allied P-51.

The Gnatsum is a low-wing cantilever monoplane an enclosed single-seat cockpit and manually retractable tailwheel landing gear based on that of the Jurca Sirocco. Suitable for a number of engines around 200 hp, plans for the Gnatsum are available as the 2/3 scale MJ.7 and the 3/4 scale MJ.77, as well as the M.J.70 full-size representation. All versions are constructed from wood with fabric covering, and manufacturing rights to the kit aircraft were acquired by Falconar Avia. although the company does not currently offer the aircraft design.

Some of the engines suitable for the MJ.7 Gnatsum series are:-

200-hp Ranger 6-440C-5 inline engine

125-hp Menasco C4

130-hp de Havilland Gipsy MajorI

125 to 160-hp Rambler aluminum block in-line 6

General Motors aluminum V-8

Variants

MJ-7

2/3 scale variant

MJ-7S Solo

MJ-77

3/4 scale Mustang variant that requires an engine of 250 to 600 hp (186 to 447 kW).

MJ-70

Full-scale variant (under development in 1996)

Specifications (Jurca M.J.77 Gnatsum)

Data from

General characteristics

Crew: 1 Pilot

Capacity: 1 (small) passenger

Length: 6.53 m (21 ft 5 in)

Wingspan: 8.43 m (27 ft 8 in)

Wing area: 13.5 m² (145 sq ft)

Empty weight: 998 kg (2,200 lb)

Gross weight: 1,297 kg (2,860 lb)

Fuel capacity: 50 U.S. gallons (190 L; 42 imp gal)

Powerplant: 1 × Geschwender , 260 kW (350 hp)

Propellers: 4-bladed

Performance

Maximum speed: 465 km/h; 251 kn (289 mph)

Cruise speed: 370 km/h; 200 kn (230 mph)

Stall speed: 105 km/h; 56 kn (65 mph)

Range: 805 km; 434 nmi (500 mi)

Rate of climb: 7.6 m/s (1,500 ft/min)