Arsenal Air 100
| Air 100 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Glider |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
June 10, 1947 |
| Number of pieces: |
43 |
The Arsenal Air 100 is a single-seat French glider that was developed in the 1940s. Although it was only built in small numbers, various records were flown with it, such as the world record in continuous gliding, which is still valid today with 56 hours and 15 minutes.
development and construction
During and after the Second World War , the German DFS Weihe glider from 1938 influenced other glider designs such as the Italian CVV-6 Canguro and the Gull 4 and Sky models from the British manufacturer Slingsby Aviation . The Arsenal 100 is also based on the DFS consecration. Development began even before the war by a small team called Groupe de l'Air under the direction of Raymond Jarlaud.
The wings of both aircraft are very similar in shape and construction. Both have a wingspan of 59.1 ft (18 m) and are linearly tapered with rounded wing tips, with the Air 100's taper ratio being greater, resulting in a slightly greater aspect ratio . In some of the later Air 100s, the wing tips are straight and end in aerodynamic thickening. Furthermore, both wings have a Göttingen 549 profile, with the roots of the Air 100 being thicker. These are constructions with individual wooden frames , which are clad with plywood in front of the spar and covered with fabric behind. The Air 100 has split ailerons to increase the roll rate and Schempp-Hirth - brakes mounted directly behind the main spar.
The tail units of both aircraft are also similar. The rigid parts are covered with plywood, the moving parts are covered with fabric. The vertical stabilizer of the Air 100 is wider and has small differences in shape, but both vertical stabilizers have a wide, round shape and the hinges are located approximately at the height of the elevators . While there are significant differences in the shape of the two hulls , both are clad in plywood. Since the wing of the DFS Weihe is mounted on a bracket behind the cockpit , it has a relatively slim fuselage. In order to improve the aerodynamics of the fuselage-surface transition , the designers of the Air 100 sunk the wing into the fuselage, bringing it to shoulder height . In contrast to the series copies, the wing of the prototype did not have a V-position . The post-war models have a more curved and higher cockpit canopy with fewer struts. Originally, the Air 100 was supposed to land on a runner and a bumper at the rear. However, the series copies were equipped with a rigid single-wheel chassis.
The Air 100 made its maiden flight on June 10, 1947.
use
The two prototypes of the Air 100 contested their first competition after only three hours of test flight at the US American National Championships in Wichita Falls , Kansas in 1947. There they finished fifth and eighth.
In 1948 Donald Pollard flew in an Air 100 206 mi (331.5 km) from Elmira , New York to Asbury Park , New Jersey , winning the Barringer Trophy .
Charles Atger set the long-term flight record with an Air 100 on April 2nd to 4th, 1952. Atger flew 56 hours and 15 minutes over the ridges of the Alpilles using the Mistral . Thirty months later, 21-year-old Bertrand Dauvin was killed trying to break Atger's record. The crash was attributed to the exhaustion of the pilot, which is why the FAI prohibited future endurance flight record attempts for glider pilots. Therefore, Atger's record remains to this day.
A new route record for women was set on May 12, 1953 by Marcelle Choisnet with a flight of 290 km from Beynes via Romilly-sur-Seine and back. In May 1954 she also set a target flight record for women over 510 km in an Air 102.
In the 1950s, other records were set in France with Arsenal Airs and competitions were contested. In use, however, the samples were much longer. In 2010 there were three Air 100 and two Air 102 registered in Europe, with one Air 102 not being airworthy.
Versions
- Air 100
- Two prototypes and fifteen series copies, built by Victor Minié Aviation.
- Air 101
- A built example of the Groupe de l'Air.
- Air 102
- Twenty-five specimens with a stiffened structure, built by Victor Minié.
Preserved copies
In addition to many stored and privately owned copies, two are publicly accessible:
- Air 100 at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace in Le Bourget
- Air 102 in the Musée Régional de l'Air in Marcé
Technical data (Air 100)
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| length | 8.02 m |
| span | 18 m |
| Wing area | 18 m² |
| Wing extension | 18th |
| Glide ratio | 30th |
| Slightest sinking | 0.6 m / s |
| Empty mass | 284 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 374 kg |
| Top speed | 220 km / h |
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Martin Simons: Sailplanes 1920-1945 . 2nd Edition. EQIP Werbung & Verlag GmbH, Königswinter 2006, ISBN 3-9806773-4-6 , p. 126-128 (English).
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Martin Simons: Sailplanes 1945-1965 . 2nd Edition. EQIP Werbung & Verlag GmbH, Königswinter 2006, ISBN 3-9807977-4-0 , p. 56-58 (English).
- ↑ a b Soaring in France . In: Sailplane & Glider . tape 16 , no. 4 , April 1948, p. 8–9 (English, archive.org [PDF]).
- ↑ Air 100 - Planeur de compétition. Air France , accessed February 29, 2020 (French).
- ^ Don Pollard: The Air-100 . In: Soaring . tape 12 , no. 3-4 , 1984 (English).
- ^ Gliding Record Attempt Fatal. The Spokesman Review, December 27, 1954, accessed February 29, 2020 .
- ↑ Dave Partington: European registers handbook 2010 . Air Britain (Historians) Ltd, 2010, ISBN 978-0-85130-425-0 (English).
- ^ A b Bob Ogden: Aviation Museums and Collections of Mainland Europe . Air Britain (Historians) Ltd, 2009, ISBN 978-0-85130-418-2 (English).