Aerocar IMP

The Aerocar IMP (for Independently Made Plane) was an unconventional light aircraft designed by Moulton Taylor and marketed for homebuilding. The IMP and its various derivatives were developed by Taylor after he had already established himself in the homebuilt market with the Coot amphibian, and at the time of the Energy Crisis in the United States, were designed to be economical to build and operate.

The IMP was unconventional in configuration in having a pusher propeller powered by a long driveshaft from an engine mounted midway within the fuselage of the aircraft. This provided an aerodynamic advantage over more traditional pusher arrangements by allowing greater streamlining of the fuselage - giving the IMP the appearance of an elongated teardrop. The aircraft's most visually striking feature, however, is its inverted V-tail.

Originally designed as a four-seat aircraft, the original IMP design proved to be too complex and expensive for the market that Taylor was aiming for, and although it was awarded a type certification by the FAA, development was abandoned in favour of scaled-down, single-seat version dubbed the Mini-IMP.

Specifications (IMP)

General characteristics

Performance

Related content

Related development: Mini-IMP - Micro-IMP - Holcomb Perigee

Comparable aircraft:

Designation sequence:

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Taylor aircraft.
  1. ↑ Crawford, Donald R. (1994). A practical guide to airplane performance and design (3rd print., rev. ed.). Torrance, Ca: Crawford Aviation. ISBN 0-9603934-0-4.


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