Thaden T-4

The Thaden T-4 Argonaut was a 1930s American four-seat all-metal cabin monoplane built by the Thaden Metal Aircraft Company of San Francisco, California.^[1]

The T-4 cockpit

Inside the rear fuselage of a Thaden T-4

T-4 Argonaut
Role	Cabin monoplane
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Thaden Metal Aircraft Company
Designer	Louise Thaden & Herbert von Thaden
First flight	1930
Number built	2

Design and development

The T-4 was the third and last design of the Thaden Metal Aircraft Company which had been formed by Herbert von Thaden, a former United States Army Signal Corps pilot and engineer, to work on developing the first American all-metal aircraft. The T-4 was a high-wing monoplane powered by a 300 hp (224 kW) Wright Whirlwind radial engine.^[1] It had a fixed conventional landing gear with a tailwheel.^[2] Two aircraft were built.^[3]

Specifications

Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1931,^[4] Aerofiles^[3]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 3 pax
• Length: 32 ft 10 in (10.01 m)
• Wingspan: 45 ft (14 m)
• Height: 9 ft (2.7 m)
• Wing area: 277.4 sq ft (25.77 m²)
• Empty weight: 2,366 lb (1,073 kg)
• Gross weight: 3,800 lb (1,724 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 96 US gal (80 imp gal; 360 L) fuel tank capacity; 636 lb (288 kg) fuel and oil
• Powerplant: 1 × Wright Whirlwind 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 300 hp (220 kW)
• Propellers: 2-bladed Hamilton Standard fixed-pitch metal propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 135 mph (217 km/h, 117 kn)
• Cruise speed: 110 mph (180 km/h, 96 kn) *Landing speed: 59 mph (51 kn; 95 km/h)
• Range: 600 mi (970 km, 520 nmi)
• Rate of climb: 920 ft/min (4.7 m/s)
• Wing loading: 13.88 lb/sq ft (67.8 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 12.67 lb/hp (7.71 kg/kW)

See also

• Aviation portal

• Thaden T-1
• Thaden T-2