The Italian Aerospace Information Web
by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)
Ultrafast Home-built
Maybe it's the unique whine of the turbine engine (sounding much like a PT6), or the incredible 10,000 fpm climb, or the 300 ++ mph cruise speed, but whatever it is, Mike Manary (Melbourne, FL) draws a crowd just refueling his aerobatic Glasair III Turbo-Prop.
After years of dreaming about owning and flying a personal jet fighter, Manary now owns one (without guns). He's been too busy building and test-flying high performance Lancairs, Glasairs, and Questairs during the past decade to talk to an Air Force recruiter, so Manary eventually decided to just build an airplane that would feel and fly like a jet fighter.
Powered by a simple-to-operate 750 hp Walter 601 turbine engine (Czech-made), and fitted with an 85 inch 3-blade Avia propeller, Manary's Glasair III Turbo-Prop is exactly what he's always wanted. Even though it can be easily flown by a private pilot (Manary has no military background or experience), the incredible climb performance, fast speeds, and crisp handling of this airplane makes it feel like a personal jet fighter.
Weighing in at only 1500 lbs. empty (with an allowable 3000 lb. Gross), Manary's sturdy 2-seater "N9156W" took him only 6 months to assemble.
In the picture: Mike Manary in front of his Glasair III Turbo
(Aeromedia, April 1998)