Engineering:Arup S-4
| S-4 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Blended wing body aircraft |
| National origin | United States of America |
| Manufacturer | Arup Manufacturing Corporation |
| Designer | Dr. C.L. Snyder, Raoul Hoffman |
| First flight | 19 March 1935 |
| Introduction | 1935 |
| Retired | bought and flown with a patched crack in its wood spar to a museum in the Dallas Ft Worth area in the early 70s |
| Number built | 1 |
| Developed from | Arup S-3 |
The Arup S-4 (Model 104) is the last in a series of round-wing aircraft from C.L. Snyder.[1]
Design and development
The S-4 was engineered by Raoul Hoffman. The test pilot was Glenn Doolittle, a cousin of Jimmy Doolittle.[2]
The S-4 used a low aspect ratio, semi-circular planform wing with a conventional landing gear and a small rudder with attached elevator on the rear of the fuselage. The aircraft was entered through a door mounted on the bottom of the aircraft.[3]
Operational history
The S-4 prototype flew extensively in promotional demonstrations. The S-4 was emblazoned with Sears Roebuck and Company logos. The aircraft was scrapped for war materials in World War II.[4]
Variants
- Hoffman Flying Wing a design based on the Arup S-4 aircraft.[5]
- Milt Hatfield Little Bird - similar design.[6]
Aircraft on display
A replica is on display in the atrium of South Bend Airport[7]
Specifications (S-4)
Data from Janes, Popular Aviation
General characteristics
- Capacity: 2
- Length: 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
- Wingspan: 22 ft (6.7 m)
- Wing area: 273 sq ft (25.4 m2)
- Airfoil: NACA M-6
- Empty weight: 650 lb (295 kg)
- Gross weight: 1,200 lb (544 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 18
- Powerplant: 1 × LeBlond 70-5 5-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engine, 70 hp (52 kW)
- Maximum speed: 100 kn (115 mph, 185 km/h)
- Service ceiling: 9,000 ft (2,700 m)
- Rate of climb: 580 ft/min (2.9 m/s)
References
- ↑ Avrocar: Canada's flying saucer : the story of Avro Canada's secret projects.
- ↑ "Round aircraft designs". Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120402075442/http://celticowboy.com/Round%20Aircraft%20Designs.htm. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
- ↑ Popular Aviation: 92. August 1935.
- ↑ "Low AR-planes". http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/n_o_d/weird_04.htm. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
- ↑ Experimenter. December 1957.
- ↑ Bernard L Rice (March 1987). "Milt's Little Bird". Sport Aviation: 43.
- ↑ "KSBN airport". http://jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=349450&nseq=6. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
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