Engineering:AmEagle American Eaglet

American Eaglet
Role	Ultralight sailplane
Manufacturer	AmEagle
Designer	Larry Haig
First flight	19 November 1975

The AmEagle American Eaglet was a highly unorthodox ultralight sailplane marketed in the United States for homebuilding. It was a one-seat, high-wing braced monoplane that carried an inverted V-tail on a long boom extending from a pod-like fuselage. Intended for self-launching, it was equipped with a McCulloch go-kart engine and a folding propeller behind the cabin. Its first flight was on 19 November 1975, and by 1978, at least 250 sets of plans had been sold, with 12 aircraft reportedly completed.

Specifications

Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1947

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 22 ft 9 in (6.94 m)
• Wingspan: 34 ft 4 in (10.47 m)
• Height: 7 ft 0 in (2.14 m)
• Wing area: 164.4 sq ft (15.27 m²)
• Empty weight: 638 lb (289 kg)
• Gross weight: 1,050 lb (476 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Continental A50 air-cooled, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder piston engine, 50 hp (37 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 92 mph (148 km/h, 80 kn) * Landing speed: 28 mph (24 kn; 45 km/h)
• Range: 225 mi (362 km, 196 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 14,500 ft (4,400 m)
• Rate of climb: 700 ft/min (3.6 m/s)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Birdman TL-1
• Pterodactyl Ascender
• Eipper Quicksilver
• Mitchell U-2 Superwing
• Stanton Sunbird, a motor glider which utlised American Eaglet components
• Ultraflight Lazair
• Zenair Zipper

References

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. 
• The Rigid Wing Web Site
• Gliding and Motorgliding International