The Marquart MA-5 Charger is a biplane designed by Ed Marquart (d. 2007) in the late 1960s. It is a sport biplane in the finest sense of the word: easy to handle, gentle but responsive to fly, and easy to land.
Inspired by the Stampe SV.4 and Bücker Bü-131 Jungmann biplanes of the 1930s, the design of the Charger calls back to a time when flying was a stylish affair; when the pilot would leap into the cockpit with leather helmet, goggles, and white silk scarf casually draped around the neck. With swept wings, cantilever landing gear, and a long, tapered tail, the Charger strikes a distinctive stance on the ground or in the air.
The Charger is a two-place airplane constructed of 4130 steel tube, wood, aluminum, and fabric. The fuselage is primarily of 4130 steel tubing. The wings are primarily of spruce. The covering is mostly fabric, with aluminum skin typically running from the engine to the cockpit area.
Construction is straightforward, and will be familiar to builders already familiar with tube-and-fabric construction. The design lends itself well to homebuilding, with very few specialized parts, and no machining required. The builder will need to be familiar with woodworking and welding, but very few special tools are required for the build. A typical home shop will already have many of the tools required to build a Charger. Builders typically spend 3000-4000 hours building a Charger.
Specifications
Height | 7 ft 7 in (2.3 m) |
Wingspan | 24 ft (7.3 m) |
Length | 20 ft 8 in (6.3 m) |
Wing Area | 170 ft2 (16 m2) |
Wing Sweep | 10° |
Airfoil | NACA 2412 |
Design Empty Weight | 1100 lbs (499 kg) |
Gross Weight | 1650 lbs (748.4 kg) |
Payload | 550 lbs (220 kg) |
Payload with Full Fuel | 391 lbs (177.7 kg) |
Fuel Capacity | 26.5 US gal (100.7 l) |
Performance*
Design Engine HP Range | 125-180 HP (93-134 kW) |
Design Loading | +6/-4 G |
Cruise Speed | 100 kt (115 mph) (185 km/h) |
Stall Speed (Vs) | 37 kt (42 mph) (68 km/h) |
Never-Exceed Speed (Vne) | 161 kt (185 mph) (298 km/h) |
Best Glide Speed (Vg) | 65 kt (75 mph) (121 km/h) |
Max Climb Rate at 1300 lbs | 1100 fpm (5.59 m/s) |
Wing Loading | 9.12 lb/ft2 (0.385 kg/m2) |
Power Loading | 12.4 lb/HP (7.57 kg/kW) |
Range | 400+ miles (643+ km) |