Fournier RF-2
| Fournier RF-2 | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Motor sailer |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
May 1962 |
| Commissioning: |
1962 |
| Production time: |
1962 |
| Number of pieces: |
2 |
The Fournier RF-2 was a single-seat touring aircraft that Rene Fournier derived in 1962 from the prototype Fournier RF-1 as a pre-production model.
history
The Fournier RF-2 was a further development of the Fournier RF-1 developed by Rene Fournier . Development began in 1961 after the French aviation authority DGAC commissioned Fournier to build two pre-series Fournier RF-1 aircraft. The request was linked to the requirement to certify the RF-1, which is classified as an amateur aircraft, as a touring aircraft in France according to the applicable licensing requirements. One of the two pre-series machines was to be made available as a break cell for attempts at destruction. Fournier revised the RF-1 draft on the basis of the test experience for future series production. He increased the engine power by 30% and redesigned the fuselage aerodynamically by flattening the fuselage and the cockpit canopy. The large central wheel of the RF-1 was exchanged for a small wheel. A starting device for starting the engine in flight has also been included for the series. The new design was named Avion Planeur Fournier RF-2.
When the DGAC was commissioned to build the prototype, there was also the requirement to prepare for future series production. Therefore Fournier awarded the construction of the two RF-2 pre-series in the fall of 1961 to the Center Est Aéronautique of Pierre Robin in Dijon . At that time Robin was busy producing his own development, the three-seat Jodel Ambassadeur . This led to delays in the construction of the two pre-series machines. Robin also showed little interest in starting a series production of the RF-2 due to his own workload. In search of an alternative partner for series production, Rene Fournier came across Belgian Comte Antoine d'Assche . In 1959, D'Assche founded the Société Alpavia in the small Alpine town of Gap Tallard and took over part of the production of the Jodel D.117 there for Jodel . D'Assche was interested in serial production of the RF-2 at Alpavia as a successor to the Jodel. Fournier then had the RF-2, which was already under construction at Robin, transported to Gap Tallard and completed at Alpavia.
In May 1962 the first flight of the first RF-2 with the registration F-WJSR took place by Gerard Tahon in Gap Tallard. The first flight, however, ended in a crash landing after the air brakes ran out of control. Only after the prototype completed a second flight in July 1962 without any complaints did the French licensing authority STA issue a restricted operating license for the RF-2.
In June 1962, Fournier presented the RF-2 to the public at the Cannes Air Show. During the Air Show, Fournier received 14 orders for the RF-2. The French aviation authority also ordered a further six RF-2 series machines. Fournier and Alpavia then signed a license agreement for the series production of the RF-2 in Gap Tallard.
The RF-2 had become 20 kg heavier due to the approval-related modifications. The problems with the air brake were also not yet satisfactorily solved. For this reason, Fournier revised the RF-2 design again before starting series production. The now completed rupture cell served as a test vehicle and was finally completed with a restricted operating license as F-WJSY.
The design revised for series production was given the designation Fournier RF-3 and went into series production at Alpavia from 1963. The two RF-2 pre-series machines remain individual pieces that were used exclusively for testing. On October 14, 1962, Claude Visse carried out a demonstration flight with an RF-2 to demonstrate the economic efficiency. At an average speed of 90 km / h and 30 liters of fuel in the tank, Visse was able to keep the aircraft in the air for 6 hours and 42 minutes.
construction
The design and construction of the Fournier RF-2 corresponded to its predecessor, the RF-1. However, the RF-2 was given a 30% higher engine variant with a 39 hp Volkswagen engine, which was converted into an aircraft engine at Rectimo in Chambery. The wing spar of the RF-1 had to be reinforced in order to meet the approval requirements for glider construction. In addition, the RF-2 received a flatter fuselage and a flattened cockpit hood, spoilers and a smaller central wheel than the RF-1. In addition, the RF-2 was equipped with a hydraulic pump for starting the engine in flight.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| Crew / passengers | 1 |
| length | 5.90 m |
| span | 11.20 m |
| height | |
| Wing area | 11.00 m² |
| Empty mass | 245 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 350 kg |
| Cruising speed | 190 km / h |
| Top speed | 250 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 5500 m |
| Range | 500 km |
| Engines | 1 × VW-Rectimo 4AR 1200; 39 PS (approx. 30 kW) |
Whereabouts
The two RF-2 prototypes remained individual pieces. Both aircraft were handed over to the DGAC after testing was completed in August 1964. The original RF-2-02 break cell was handed over to the Musée de l'air et de l'espace in Le Bourget near Paris in 1977 and can be seen there today as part of the public exhibition. The first prototype RF-2-01 was handed over by the DGAC in 1979 to the Aeroclub Louis Notteghem. It changed hands several times over the next 30 years and has been owned by Club Fournier de Druillat since February 2017. He is registered as F-AZRZ in the French aviation role.
See also
literature
- Rene Fournier, Mon rêve et mes combats , 2003, ISBN 978-2951945807
- Paul Zöller, Fournier Aircraft , 2017, ISBN 978-3-7460-4864-2
Web links
- Club Fournier International America - RF-2 photos and data
- Pyperpote.tonsite.biz - Photos of the RF-2-02 at the Muse de l'Air in Le Bourget
Individual evidence
- ↑ Pilot, Aug 1988: The Avions Planeurs of Monsieur Fournier. Retrieved September 10, 2017 .
- ^ A b Jane’s All The World Aircraft, 1962: France - Alpavia. Retrieved September 10, 2017 .
- ^ Rene Fournier: Mon reve et mes combats , Edition Sier, Jan. 2005, ISBN 978-2-9519-4580-7
- ^ Club Fournier France: Historique des avions Fournier. Retrieved September 10, 2017 .
- ↑ Flight, June 1, 1961: Flying for fun in the Fournier. Retrieved September 10, 2017 .
- ↑ Pyperpote: List'In MAE. Retrieved September 10, 2017 .
- ^ Paul Zöller: Fournier Airplanes , 2017, ISBN 978-3-7460-4864-2
