D.31 Basic Facts 

 

The D.31 Turbulent is French designed and British built. It was designed to be amateur-built and is a single-seat, ultra-light aircraft with cantilever low-wings and fixed tail wheel landing gear. It was designed to be powered by a 30hp (1200cc) engine - Volkswagen or similar.

The Turbulent was one of the first aircraft to be approved for amateur construction under the supervision of the Light Aircraft Association's forebear, the PFA (Popular Flying Association)

  

 

 

Technical Data 

Crew           

1 
Length 17ft 4ins5.3m
Wingspan21ft 5 ins6.53m
Empty Weight349lbs158kg
Gross Weight620lbs281kg

 

Powerplant x 1 Volkswagen

 30 hp22 kW

 

Performance

 

Maximum Speed

125mph210km/h

 

Rate of Climb

400ft/min2m/s

 

PFA Number

 

482

 

   

The Turbulent's Young French Designer

The D.31 aircraft was designed by Roger Druine who was a French aviator and light aircraft designer. Druine was born in 1921 at Pont-Sainte-Maxence, Northern France. He built his first aircraft when he was just 16 years old. He went on to design a series of small aircraft for amateur construction.

 

  

 

 

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