Aero Mercantil at Bogota, Colombia, started distributing Pipers in 1952 and began assembling Piper kits in 1968. Eric Leaver, project manager with Aero Mercantil, wanted to produce a taxi/transporter for the South American market. Design was started in March 1986 by General Aviation Technical Services (GATS, former Piper engineers) of Lock Haven Pennsylvania, by specification of Leaver: Piper PA-18-type, 150 mph, high-wing utility, large doors, tubular construction, no machined parts.
Construction of the prototype Galiván (Sparrowhawk), bearing a superficial resemblance to the larger Cessna 208 Caravan, was started by Aero Mercantil in May 1987 and registered HK-3500-Z, Columbia's first indigenous aeroplane made its maiden flight in Bogotá on April 27, 1990. After fifty flying hours the fuselage was stretched 1 ft 0 in (0.305 m) immediately forward of main spar, in this form it was first flown November 7, 1990. To improve cruising speed the wing incidence was increased in 1991, while also the passenger windows were reshaped.
Late 1991 the prototype was transferred to Lock Haven for further flight-testing and for certification flying. A new company, El Gavilán S.A., was formed to handle all development and production-related issues. Disaster struck late February 1992 when a broken engine crankshaft caused an emergency landing; the Galiván prototype sustained substantial damaged and the program had a setback of many months.
The company decided to obtain FAA (FAR Part 23, Amendment 45) certification from outset and funding was arranged December 1994. A second prototype was built by GATS in the USA, registered in the USA (N358EL) and in Colombia (HK-4120-Z) the aircraft first flew from Lock Haven on May 29, 1996. Two years later (after 8 years of development) the FAA Type Certificate was issued on May 26, 1998.
On March 28, 2003, Gavilan Aircraft Corporation of Canada Inc. was incorporated with the intention to relocate the aircraft manufacturing operations of El Gavilán S.A. from Bogota to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, while a Pratt & Whitney (Canada) turboprop powered version, the 508T Gavilán, was under development. However, on August 13, 2007, the Canadian company was dissolved.
By late 2003 nine aircraft had been built at Bogota, including four for the Colombian AF (s/n FAC5060 to FAC5063) of which the first was delivered on June 25, 1998. One went to TSS of Guatemala and four to Colombian Regional Airlines.
The 350 hp powered Gavilán is a utility light transport with simple systems and easy and comfortable flying characteristics. The aircraft can be used for bush, charter, taxi, ambulance and small cargo operations, carrying up to seven passengers or four patients on litters and an attendant. In addition to tricycle landing gear it was offered with twin-floats.
Wings: Constant chord, unswept braced wing of NACA 4412 section; thickness/chord ratio 12%; dihedral 2º; incidence 5º 30'. Controls. Conventional and manual. Mass balanced ailerons; elevators and rudder horn balanced; spring bias on rudder; trim tab with dual actuators in starboard elevator; manual, single-slotted flaps on offset hinges. Autopilot planned. Structure. All-metal, mainly of 2024-T3 aluminum alloy sheet; fuselage frame of 4130N steel tube skinned with 2024-T3; two-spar wing with single strut each side; two-spar fin. Landing gear: Non-retractable tricycle type, with elastomeric shock- absorption and single wheel on each unit. Steel tube main wheel legs; trailing-link nose unit, with fully castoring (±40º) nose wheel. Tire sizes 700 × 6-6 (main) and 600 × 6-6 (nose). Cleveland hydraulic main wheel brakes. Power plant: One Textron Lycoming TIO-540-W2A flat-six engine of 350 hp at 2,600 rpm, driving a three-blade constant-speed Hartzell propeller. Three fuel tanks in each wing, combined capacity 120 US gal (454 l), of which 118 US gal (446.5 l) usable. Refueling point in top of each tank. Oil capacity 3 US gal (11.4 l). Accommodation: Pilot and co-pilot or one passenger at front. All transparencies of flat Plexiglas. Two rows of three seats to rear of pilots, facing each other. Door at front on each side, plus larger double door at rear on port side. Accommodation for four stretchers and one attendant in air ambulance version. Systems: Engine-mounted vacuum pump for gyro instruments. 24 V 70 Ah battery. Hydraulic system for brakes only. Gaseous oxygen system optional. Avionics: AlliedSignal KLX 135A nav/com/GPS. Equipment: Standard cargo net and cargo tiedowns in cargo version. Optional cargo kit and air ambulance kit for passenger versions.
358 Galiván Walter van Tilborg Memorial Collection
Models
El Galiván 358 Galiván: El Galiván 508T Galiván:
initial version
proposed turbine-powered version
Specifications (358 Gavilán)
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Light multi-role transport aircraft
One 350 hp Textron Lycoming TIO-540-W2A piston turbocharged engine
40 ft in (12.19 m)
31 ft 25 in (9.53 m)
11 ft 0 in (3.35 m)
204 sq.ft (18.95 sq.m)
2,800 lb (1,270 kg)
4,500 lb (2.041 kg)
268 mph (166 km/h)
800 ft (244 m)/min
22,500 ft (6,859 m)
820 mls (1,320 km) at 75% power, with 45 min reserve