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With 540 cubic inches of Staudacher/Barrett modified Lycoming power that unleashes well over 300 horses, and custom designed control surfaces that appear to have been exposed to large doses of steroids, the performance of the Eagle 540 is nothing short of spectacular. Combine this with state of the art electronic instrumentation, and the Eagle 540 delivers a truly unique experience. When MD-11 Capt Tom Ewing and his Eagle go flying, there's no question which one of these two is the boss (but we'll leave that to your imagination)!

Your MD-11.org website host having some
fun in the Eagle 540

Click to see more of the
Eagle 540 in action


. Eagle 540 Specifications

Engine - Staudacher built Lycoming IO-540-S1A5 (originally 300 hp before modifications) wide-deck, angle-valve with Barrett cold air sump, ram air intake, 10-1 high compression pistons, B&C lightweight starter & alternator and an MT-200 86" 3-blade composite propeller. Rate of climb varies between 3700-4300fpm, depending on temperature (compared to 2900 for Pitts S-2C). Vertical penetration is 2,400 ft (compared to 1,400 for Pitts S-2B)

Fuselage - Lengthened 2" aft of the firewall and additional bracing added in longeron area, as compared to a standard Christen Eagle. Empty weight is 1183 lbs.

Wings - Super-Stinker style symmetrical ailerons with 30% chord mount. Wings built with plywood leading edges and capstrips, with squared tips similar to S2-C. Roll rate is 320 deg/sec (compared to standard Christen Eagle roll rate of 187 deg/sec and Pitts S-2B roll rate of 240 deg/sec).

Empenage - Rudder and elevator area substantially increased, as compared to a standard Christen Eagle. Second oil cooler mounted in lateral tunnel aft of rear seat, with scoop intake and discharge on fuselage sides.

Electronics - King 760 Comm, PM-1200 auto-squelch VOX intercom and UPSAT GPS, all panel-mounted. Vision Microsystems VM-1000c EFIS monitoring and alerting unit for all aircraft systems. PC Flight Systems EFIS ADI. Custom-built carbon fiber instrument panels by Aero Enhancements. Telex Stratus 50-D digital ANR headsets wired for ship's power and modified for aerobatic use.