Watkinson Dingbat
| Watkinson Dingbat | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Microlight |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: |
Taylor-Watkinson Aircraft |
| First flight: |
June 1938 |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
The Watkinson Dingbat (also Taylor-Watkinson Dingbat or Ding-Bat) is an ultralight aircraft that was manufactured in 1938 by Taylor-Watkinson in Great Britain.
history
The two designers of the machine, Cyril Taylor and Eric Watkinson, met for the first time at the de Havilland Technical School , where Taylor was enrolled in "Strength of Materials" and Watkinson in "Airplane Construction ". After graduating, both started working as draftsmen at British Aircraft at the age of 21 . Here they worked on the Eagle and Swallow from this manufacturer. Motivated by the success of the contemporary Pou du ciel , they began to design their own light aircraft in 1936, with the focus on the aspects of low weight, robustness and practicality.
The starting point for the Dingbat construction was a four-cylinder Carden Ford car engine that produced 30 hp. This was attached directly to the upper longerons and thus managed without the usual welded steel brackets. To save space, the wings were designed to be removable. The Dingbat was built in Teddington (Middlesex) and cost only £ 200. After the first flight in June 1938 with the aircraft registration G-AFJA, the two builders announced that they would offer the machine for £ 300 on the market. On May 14, 1939, the dingbat was one of the exhibits at the Royal Aeronautical Society Garden Party , after which it was parked in a garage in Twickenham , where it remained until after World War II .
In May 1948 the plane sold for £ 50 and was first transferred to the Elstree Aerodrome in Hertfordshire and then to Redhill in early 1950. After a few changes of ownership, the first flight after the war took place in Hornchurch in 1958. In 1975 it was badly damaged in an accident, but then rebuilt. In 2010 the aircraft was still registered with its original license plate.
construction
The wings of the low-wing Dingbat had a rectangular floor plan with a Clark YH profile. The structure of the plywood-clad wings consisted of two box spars. The ailerons, which can only be moved upwards, extended over the entire outer wing. Two radiators were provided for the engine cooling: one in the bow and a second under the trailing edge of the left wing.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| length | 4.88 m |
| span | 8.53 m |
| height | 1.91 m |
| Wing area | 11.6 m² |
| Empty mass | 209 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 318 kg |
| Cruising speed | 129 km / h |
| Range | 322 km |
| Engines | 1 × Carden Ford water-cooled four-cylinder automobile engine with 30 HP (22 kW) |
See also
literature
- Arthur Ord-Hume: British pre-war ultra-lights No. 3 - Watkinson Dingbat . In: Airplane Monthly June 1976, p. 332 f.
Web links
- Photos from 1951-1974 on Air-Britain (accessed December 24, 2013)
- Photo and brief description on 1000aircraftphotos.com (accessed December 24, 2013)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Approval of the G-AFJA (accessed on December 25, 2013)
- ↑ AJ Jackson: British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 3 , Putnam London, ISBN 0-370-10014-X