Ryan Flex Wing
| Ryan Flex Wing | |
|---|---|
 Flex Wing during trials in NASA's Langley wind tunnel, January 1962 |
|
| Type: | Experimental aircraft based on the Rogallo principle |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
1961 |
| Commissioning: |
- |
| Production time: |
- |
| Number of pieces: |
2? |
The Ryan Flex Wing (factory name: Model 164) was an experimental aircraft made by the American manufacturer Ryan Aeronautical Company in the early 1960s, which was based on the principle of the Rogallo wing . A slightly modified variant was given the name Ryan XV-8 Fleep by the US Air Force , with "Fleep" standing for "Flying Jeep".
history
The development took place at Ryan's Aerospace Division in San Diego on the basis of an order from the US Army , according to which a simple, light and very cheap transport device was to be developed to supply the front line troops. The flight tests were carried out in Otay Mesa (California).
Ryan then received another order from NASA to develop flex-wing landing aids, which should enable the Saturn booster to be safely returned after it has burned out and separated from the space capsule. However, the development was discontinued in mid-1964 because the boosters were still viewed as lost devices and round-cap parachutes were used to return the space capsule.
construction
The main feature of the Flex Wing was a foldable tubular steel frame that, when spread out, was given the shape of a delta. As a sheet material was nylon - membrane used for high-speed flights using a fine mesh was wire mesh recommended. With a span of 12 m, the fully developed aerodynamic area was 51.55 m². The three steel tubes of the shoring formed the keel, as well as an outer tube each and were each 8.54 m long.
In order to be able to carry out a manned test, a platform was hung below, which served as a cockpit and also carried the engine and the four-wheel chassis. In this form, the device already met the basic requirements of the Army order. It was controlled via the tubular frame connection between the wing and the platform by shifting the center of gravity of the platform in relation to the wing keel. The engine of the prototype was a 100 HP Continental that drove a pusher propeller, the air flow of which acted on an undamped rudder. The device was completely foldable for transport and could be stowed in a narrow container that was no longer than the keel tube.
A second copy was modified and designated by the US Army as the XV-8A Fleep . Externally, this version differed from the original design due to the V-tail .
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Flex Wing | XV-8 |
|---|---|---|
| crew | 1 | 1 |
| length | 8.54 m (length of the keel tube) | 5.94 m |
| span | 12 m | 10.18 m |
| Wing area | 51.55 m² | |
| Empty mass | 500 kg (including pilot and fuel) | |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 1360 kg | |
| Top speed | 96 km / h | 105 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 6000 m | |
| Engines | 1 × Continental with 100 PS | 1 × Continental IO-360-A with 210 PS |
See also
literature
- Gerd W. Heumann: Ryan Flex Wing - The versatile kite. In: Flug-Revue, April 1962.
Web links
- Brief history of the Rogallo wings (PDF file)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Flug-Revue 4/62, p. 17.
- ↑ Army VTOL Aircrafts PAGE ( Memento from August 17, 2007 in the Internet Archive )