In the early 1930s several designers became interested in the possibility of changing the configuration of wings between take off and fast flight. Two routes were explored, the first primarily involving camber and hence lift coefficient reduction and the other a decrease of wing area by span reduction at high speed. The Makhonine Mak-10 of the second.
The Makhonine Mak-10, was a variable geometry research aircraft, built to investigate variable area / telescopic wings during 1931 in France. Details of the Mak-10 are sparse but its novel feature was a telescopic wing which increased the span for take-off by 8 m (26 ft 3 in) or 60% of its high-speed configuration. The outer panels retracted into the central ones, their inner ends supported on bearings rolling along one or more spars. The ends of the centre section were reinforced with cuffs. The wing apart, it was a conventional cantilever low wing monoplane, with twin open cockpits, the rear one sometimes faired in, and faired, fixed landing gear. It was powered by a 480 kW (644 hp), three bank, W-configuration, twelve-cylinder Lorraine 12Eb engine.
The first flight of the Mak-10 was on 11 August 1931 During four years of development the Mak-10 was re-engined with a 600 kW (800 hp) Gnome-Rhône 14K Mistral Major fourteen cylinder, two row radial engine which gave it a top speed of 380 km/h (240 mph) and the new designation Mak-101.
Mak-10
Engine: Lorraine 12Eb, 480 kW (644 hp)
Propeller: 2-blade
Wingspan: 13 m (42 ft 8 in) retracted
21 m (69 ft) extended
Wing area: 33 sq.m (230 sq ft) retracted
33 m2 (360 sq ft) extended
Gross weight: 5,000 kg (11,023 lb)
Maximum speed: 300 km/h (190 mph, 160 kn)
Crew: 2
Mak-101
Engine: Gnome-Rhône 14K Mistral Major, 600 kW (800 hp)
Propeller: 2-blade
Wingspan: 13 m (42 ft 8 in) retracted
21 m (69 ft) extended
Wing area: 21 m2 (230 sq ft) retracted
33 m2 (360 sq ft) extended
Top speed 380 km/h (240 mph)
All Aero 