Pilatus SB-2
| Pilatus SB-2 | |
|---|---|
 Pilatus SB-2 Pelican |
|
| Type: | STOL multipurpose aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
May 30, 1944 |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
The Pilatus SB-2 Pelikan was a development project by the Swiss company Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG and ETH Zurich , of which only a prototype was built. The name Pilatus SB-2 is made up of the aircraft manufacturer, Pilatus Flugzeugwerke, the abbreviation SB stands for Swiss mountain aircraft and 2 for the second ETH design for a Swiss mountain aircraft.
history
The previous project of a four-seat STOL experimental aircraft under the name Pilatus SB-1 was not implemented; this was followed by the SB-2, which was also intended for commercial use. In the winter of 1941, construction of the Pilatus SB-2 special aircraft began. The Pelikan was designed as a STOL aircraft . For use in narrow Alpine valleys, short take-off and landing stretches as well as very good climbing performance were required. The first flight of the SB-2 with the registration HB-AEP took place on May 30, 1944. After extensive testing, the only copy produced came to Alpar AG in Bern. The aircraft was suitable for passenger transport, multiple tow plows of up to five gliders at the same time, but could just as well be used for aerial photography, for surveying and cargo flights and as an agricultural aircraft for use in agriculture. The Pilatus SB-2 also served as the basis for a slightly larger STOL aircraft with a larger cargo / passenger capacity, the Pilatus SB-5 . However, the Pilatus SB-5 project was not implemented.
construction
The Pilatus SB-2 was a single-engine shoulder- wing aircraft with a fixed nose wheel landing gear . It had a Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior radial engine with a starting power of 446 hp (333 kW). Wide runners for take-offs and landings on snow fields could be mounted on the rigid landing gear. This was also practiced. A wheel chassis with collapsible runners was designed, but not built. This would have made it possible to take off and land in a rotation both on snow-free ground and on snow. The possibility of retrofitting the Pilatus SB-2 with floats from the US manufacturer Edo was also not implemented.
The Pilatus SB-2 was developed from the start as an aircraft with a metal fuselage. It was supposed to function as an experimental aircraft, which could then also be converted directly into an aircraft suitable for series production. Sales of 30 machines were expected. In addition to the use of the Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior (for which the engine owner Alpar was paid rent), a version with the Argus As 410 -A2 in- line engine was also considered. This engine was also used in the Pilatus P-2 and would have given the Pilatus SB-2 a more aerodynamic appearance.
The "off" for the Pelikan took place on June 13, 1948 on the occasion of a flight day. The pelican tore the nose wheel away from an unmarked transverse channel and caused it to overturn. Due to the damage, a repair was no longer an option. However, the SB-2 provided Pilatus with important knowledge and experience, which was significantly incorporated into the development of the Pilatus P-4 and Pilatus PC-6 .
Aircraft data
- Crew: 1 pilot, 5 passengers
- Span: 15.5 m
- Maximum weight: 2.4 t
- Wing area: 29.1 m²
- Engine: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior, 336 kW (457 PS)
- Maximum speed: 250 km / h
"SB" projects
- The SB-1 project was intended as a purely experimental aircraft; commercial use was not intended.
- Nothing is known about any designs with the designations SB-3 and SB-4.
- The Pilatus SB-5 was a project for an enlarged version of the Pilatus SB-2.
literature
- Pilatus SB-2 Pelican: The Swiss Mountain Airplane 1938–1949 . Study office for special aircraft, Kuno Gross, ISBN 978-3-7494-3640-8 .
- Roland Eichenberger: Pilatus Aircraft: 1939–1989 , Pilatus Aircraft Works , Stans 1989.
Web links
- Pilatus Aircraft: Projects
- History, planning of the Pilatus SB-2 ETH library.
- Pilatus SB-2 three-sided view
Photos:
Individual evidence
- ^ Pilatus SB-2 Pelican: The Swiss Mountain Airplane 1938–1949. Study office for special aircraft, Kuno Gross, ISBN 978-3-7494-3640-8
- ↑ Photos of the Pilatus SB-2 with runners.
