General Aircraft Croydon

The General Aircraft ST-18 Croydon was a 1930s British cabin monoplane built by General Aircraft Limited.

ST-18 Croydon
GAL Monospar ST-18 Croydon, 1936
Role	Cabin monoplane
Manufacturer	General Aircraft
First flight	1935
Introduction	1935
Retired	1936
Number built	1

Development

Following the mixed success of the earlier Monospar family of aircraft, the company designed a ten-seat light transport, the ST-18 (later named Croydon). Due to the longer-span wing, it was not a cantilever monospar wing but had to be fitted with bracing struts. The ST-18 was a low-wing monoplane, with a conventional tail unit and tailwheel landing gear, and hydraulically retractable main gear. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior radial engines mounted on the wing leading edges. It had a crew of three, and a cabin for ten passengers, a toilet and baggage compartment.

Operational history

On 16 November 1935, the sole aircraft (T22, later G-AECB) first flew at Hanworth Aerodrome, piloted by Harry M. Schofield. It performed well, but did not attract any orders, so the aircraft was prepared to establish a record for an Australia to England flight. On 30 July 1936, Lord Sempill, Harold "Tim" Wood, and two other crew left Croydon Airport for Australia. On 7 October 1936, during the return flight from Darwin, navigation errors occurred during the flight over the Timor Sea, and the aircraft made a successful forced landing on a coral reef (Seringapatam Reef). The crew members were immediately transported off the reef by local fishermen, and the aircraft was abandoned.

Specifications

Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1938

General characteristics

• Crew: 3 (pilot, co-pilot and wireless operator)
• Capacity: 10 passengers
• Length: 43 ft 3 in (13.18 m)
• Wingspan: 59 ft 6 in (18.14 m)
• Height: 14 ft 3 in (4.09 m)
• Wing area: 454 sq ft (42.18 m²)
• Empty weight: 8,000 lb (3,639 kg)
• Gross weight: 11,350 lb (5,148 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior SB 9-cylinder radial piston engine , 450 hp (336 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 203 mph (327 km/h, 176 kn)
• Range: 900 mi (1,448 km, 780 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 19,500 ft (5,945 m)

References

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1938
• A.J.Jackson, British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 2, Putnam & Company, London, 1974, ISBN 0-370-10010-7, Page 310