Windecker Eagle
| Windecker Eagle | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Light aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
January 26, 1969 |
| Production time: |
1968-1973 |
| Number of pieces: |
9 (8 AC-7 or ACX-7 and 1 YE-5A) |
The Windecker AC-7 Eagle 1 is a four-seat light aircraft manufactured by the US manufacturer Windecker Industries . It was the first aircraft to be certified by the FAA whose airframe was made of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP).
history
Since 1959, Windecker Research Inc. held a license from the Dow Chemical Company for the development of an "all-plastic aircraft". Work on a corresponding wing began in 1960, which was then tested on a conventional metal airplane. After extensive research, the construction of a complete prototype made of GRP was started in 1965. This aircraft, equipped with a fixed nose wheel landing gear ( aircraft registration number N801WR ), had its maiden flight on October 7, 1967 and then served as a flying test bench for this newly developed technology. By July 1977 the machine had FAA approval. On the basis of the test results, Windecker designed and built a high-performance plastic aircraft called Eagle 1 with a retractable undercarriage.
The first Eagle-1 prototype made its maiden flight on January 26, 1969. However, shortly before the test flights for FAA type certification were completed , the aircraft crashed on April 19, 1969. After a few design changes, the main goal of which was to reduce weight, construction of a second prototype began in June 1969. This aircraft (N803WR) flew for the first time on September 29, 1969 and was approved by the FAA on December 18, 1969 Another prototype, which reflected the status of the planned series production, was completed in May 1970, after which the first series aircraft (N4195G) could be delivered to a customer on October 7, 1970. By the end of February 1972, seven of the nine machines had been manufactured.
construction
The Eagle 1 is a four-seater low-wing aircraft with a conventional design. The airframe is made entirely of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP), which is composed of 67% non-woven unidirectional glass fibers and 33% a matrix of epoxy resin .
The unswept wings have a V-position of 4 ° 30 'and a setting angle of 2 ° 30'. The NACA profile 62 2 415 is used as the wing profile . The Frize ailerons and the simple flaps were also made from GRP.
Military version YE-5A
The United States Air Force (USAF) acquired an Eagle 1 in 1973, which was used for investigations into the stealth properties of an "all-plastic aircraft". The Eagle 1 with the serial number 8 was given the designation YE-5A (USAF registration 73-1653 ) and had a Continental IO-540G as a drive. The shielding of the metal components such as the engine, hydraulic lines and landing gear, which - despite internal radar-absorbing material - were still clearly visible on the radar screen, proved to be problematic .
The YE-5A was destroyed in an accident in 1985 and replaced by the civilian Eagle serial number 5 (N4196G) , which remained in service until the project was completed. This machine is said to be in storage at the United States Army Aviation Museum in Fort Rucker today (2019).
production
| Mark | Work no. | comment |
|---|---|---|
| N801WR | ? | (ACX-7?) Prototype with fixed landing gear, license expired in 1977 |
| N802W | 1 | 1. Prototype AC-7 (crashed) |
| N803WR | 2 | 2. prototype |
| N804WR | 3 | Series prototype |
| N4195G | 4th | |
| N4196G | 5 | Issued at Fort Rucker, modified by USAF, replacement for the downed YE-5A |
| N4197G | 6th | |
| N4198G | 7th | restored and airworthy |
| YE-5A | 8th | USAF conversion (USAF registration 73-1653 ), crashed |
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| Passengers | 3 |
| length | 8.70 m |
| span | 9.76 m |
| height | 2.92 m |
| Wing extension | 5.82 |
| Empty mass | 975 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 1542 kg |
| Max. Cruising speed | 333 km / h |
| Top speed | 340 km / h in level flight |
| Service ceiling | 5475 m |
| Range | 1982 km at 3000 m |
| Engines | 1 × Continental IO-520-C six-cylinder boxer engine with two-blade controllable pitch propeller |
See also
literature
- John WR Taylor (Ed.): Jane's All The World's Aircraft - 1972-73 , Sampson Low, Marston & Company Ltd., London, 1972, p. 443
- Windecker Eagle (planes from A – Z) . In: AERO - the illustrated collective work of aviation, issue 152, p. 4251 f.
- John M. Andrade: US Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909 , Midland Counties Publ., 1979, ISBN 0-904597-22-9 , p. 99
Web links
- Description on aerofiles.com (accessed June 7, 2019)
- Description on airandspace.si.edu (accessed June 7, 2019)
- aviationweek.com (accessed June 7, 2019)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Registration data of the N801WR (below) (accessed on June 8, 2019)
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Photos of the N4198G (accessed June 10, 2019)
- ↑ Description on all-aero.com (accessed on June 10, 2019)