FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1981
1981 - 0579.PDF
fUGHT International, 7 March 198/ 621 Speed Canard progress Private IMLDiKnr Official organ of the Royal Aero Club WhwwWk GYROFLUG'S Speed Canard, based on the Rutan VariEze, is now heading for certification after a first flight in December (see Flight, January 3). The project started in 1978 when Peter Kraus, member of the German homebuilt association, decided to build an improved version of the VariEze homebuilt he had flown since 1976. Kraus died in an accident in July 1979, but the project was continued by his partners. The glassfibre prototype was built by sailplane manufacturer Glaser- Dirks at Bruchsal and is powered by a 115 h.p. Lycoming 0-235M1 with con stant speed Hoffman pusher propeller. The 14a2ft (4-4m) long fuselage is made integral with the wing centre section, which carries 35gal (1601it) of fuel. The outer wings, a one-spar construction, weigh 551b (25kg) each and area easily detachable, as is the canard foreplane. Three different Eppler sections are used to give good •handling characteristics. Wing sweep is 59° (inner) and 28° (outer) and span is 24ft (7-29m). The winglets at the tips carry the rudders and con ventional ailerons are fitted. The can- 80/87 returns . . . continued ember 8, 1980) but details have yet to be finalised. Meanwhile, the General Aviation Manufacturers and Traders Association (Gamta), many of whose members operate light twins and the aircraft for which lOOLL is the only fuel available, would like to see some sort of tax relief for avgas, to reduce the big price differential against the cost of motor fuel and American avgas quoted above. • Carless Petroleum is at Clarenden House, 169-171 North Station Road, Colchester, Essex COl 1YN. Gamta is at 26 High Street, Brill, Aylesbury, Bucks. • The British Gliding Association has completed the first stage of its in flight trial of 4 Star mogas in a 180 h.p. Lycoming, and we plan to feature the main points of the BGA prelimin ary report in an early issue. C.R.B. ard, also with an Eppler profile, carries a full span elevator. The tri cycle undercarriage has glassfibre struts, and brakes are fitted to the mainwheels. The nosewheel can be re tracted electrically. The pilot and pas senger sit under individual sideways opening canopies and some baggage can be carried under the rear seat. Control is through conventional rudder bars plus sidestick. Fresh air is admitted through the nose and a heater is fitted. Normal VFR instru ments are standard but IFR avionics (probably King) can be fitted. Empty weight has risen to 8151b (370kg) and gross weight to 1,4801b (670kg). (These are considerable in creases over the VariEze, whose de signer Burt Rutan is not involved with the Gyroflug project.) Performance data have also been revised down wards, maximum speed now being quoted as 182kt (340km/hr) and 75 per cent cruise as 160kt (300 km/hr) —still very fast. Range is quoted as up to 1,350 n.m. (2,500km) at 45 per cent power. Take-off and landing dist ances are 1,320ft (400m) on grass. Gyroflug plans to fly the second pro totype in the summer and first deliv eries are planned this year. To minimise investment and to keep costs down, the glassfibre components will be built by a German sailplane manu facturer yet to be selected, while Gyroflug will assemble the aircraft. Thirty options have been placed at a price of DM78,000, about £16,500, but later aircraft from Gyroflug are likely to cost more. Gyiroflug is at Freihofotrasse 37, 70000 Stuttgart 40. Briefings... Glaser-Dirks is working on the DG- 400, a motorglider version of the DG-200 sailplane. A 15m span will be capable of extension to 17m, and when the 43 h.p. Rotax engine is retracted glide performance is expected to be as good as the DG-200. Price will be DM60,000-65,000 (about £13,000), and the prototype should fly this spring. Briefings... The Brook International Aviation School is organising flying training packages incorporating three or four weeks in the USA with training to FAA PPL level and a holiday at Las Vegas. A pre-departure course of ground training in the UK is available. Contact BIAS at 32 Muswell Hill, London N10 3TA. Fast approaching completion in a Twickenham garage is Mike Reach's beautiful Bleriot XI mono plane. Unable to find a three-cylinder Anzani engine, he has installed a 1927 two-cylinder 39 h.p. ABC Scorpion, derated to 30 h.p. and mounted forward of the undercarriage frame to maintain the correct e.g. The Bleriot is a faithful reproduction in most respects, based upon American plans published in 1911, although sheet steel fittings replace the original castings. No glue is used in the fuselage frame. Two years and 2,500hr work went into the aircraft, registered G-LOTI after the builder's wife. He plans to display it at the PFA rally, Leicester, early in July JHL *>*« -
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
