Atlas ACE
Encyclopedia
The Atlas ACE is a South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n turboprop trainer
Trainer (aircraft)
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate in-flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristics and a simplified cockpit arrangement—allows...
, that was designed by the Atlas Aircraft Corporation
Atlas Aircraft Corporation
The Atlas Aircraft Corporation of South Africa was established in 1965 to manufacture a number of sophisticated military aircraft and avionics equipment for the South African Air Force, as well as for export...
as a contender to replace the North American Harvard in service with the South African Air Force
South African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
. The aircraft was not selected and only two examples were completed.
Design and development
The design originated as the 1986 Project Ovid by the government research agency Aerotek, as a composites technology demonstrator. In 1991 the design was entered into a competition to replace the North American Harvard by the Atlas Aircraft CorporationAtlas Aircraft Corporation
The Atlas Aircraft Corporation of South Africa was established in 1965 to manufacture a number of sophisticated military aircraft and avionics equipment for the South African Air Force, as well as for export...
as the ACE (All Composite Evaluator).
The ACE is a tandem two-seat low-wing cantilever monoplane powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop. It has a retractable nosewheel landing gear and a conventional tail unit. The aircraft is constructed from carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
composites.
The prototype was first flown on 29 April 1991, but did not win the competition which was awarded to the Pilatus PC-7
Pilatus PC-7
The Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer is a low-wing tandem-seat training aircraft, manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The aircraft is capable of all basic training functions including aerobatics, instrument, tactical and night flying. It has been selected by more than twenty air forces as...
.
On 14 January 1995 the prototype was lost in a wheels up landing at Jan Smuts Airport. The second improved aircraft was scheduled to fly, but the design was not developed.