Monoplane

Operation Sigma Sigma 1

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Operation Sigma was set up in 1966 with the object of building a pre-eminent sailplane for the British entry at the 1970 World Championships at Marfa, Texas. Rear Admiral Nick Goodhart was appointed project manager and manufacture of this very high performance sailplane was financially assisted by companies both within and outside the aviation industry.

The idea was that Sigma should have two sets of wings: one for thermalling at low speeds with low minimum sink, and the other for good performance at high speeds for cross-country flying. The two wing sections were specially developed for the project by Dr F.X. Wortmann.

Sigma’s wing consists of a light alloy box structure with full span flaps. These hydraulically operated flaps move in a similar manner to Fowler flaps but the gap between wing and flap is sealed with a flexible closure plate on the lower surface of the wing and spoilers on the upper surface to form a continuous extension of the wing. Each flap carries a full-span trailing edge aileron on the outer panel, and a camber-changing flap on the inner panel. These surfaces remain exposed when the flap is retracted. With the flap extended the circling speed and low sink rate should give a better rate of climb in weak thermals. Forward of the aileron on the upper surface is a light alloy spoiler to assist with lateral control at low speeds. With the flaps retracted the high wing loading and low drag should give a high lift/drag ratio at high speeds. The braking system is operated by lowering the camber-changing flaps and raising the spoilers on the upper surfaces to control the speed.

The fuselage is of the pod and boom type with welded steel tube centre structure faired by the wood framed glassfibre cockpit pod and with the tailboom of light alloy monocoque bolted to it. The long undercarriage is used to ensure that the wing tips have satisfactory ground clearance, necessary due to the large span and the degree of wing flexibility. The retractable sprung tail wheel is mounted in the rudder base and is operated by cables from the main undercarriage. The rudder incorporates a brake parachute. The tail unit is of light alloy construction with an all-moving T-tailplane incorporating a full-span anti-balance trim tab. The flying controls are all manually operated except for the flaps and the undercarriage, which are hydraulically operated. The hydraulic pressure is achieved by the pilot pushing both rudder pedals back and forth to operate the hydraulic pump.

The aircraft flew for the first time on 12 September 1971 with Nick Goodhart at the controls. Many aspects of handling and performance had been developed to a satisfactory level, but it did not prove possible to overcome difficulties associated with the flaps and flexible closure plates.

In 1977 the project was taken over by Prof. David J. Marsden of the University of Alberta, who designed and built the Gemini two-seater sailplane. He proposes to replace Sigma’s present flaps by simple slotted flaps in the course of his research on variable geometry sailplanes.

Sigma 1
Wing span: 21.0 m (68 ft 10 in)
Length: 8.81 m (28 ft 10 in)
Height: 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 12.2 sq.m (131.3 sq ft)
Wing section: Wortmann FX-67 Series
Aspect ratio: 36.2
Empty weight: 607 kg (1,338 lb)
Max weight: 703 kg (1,550 lb)
Water ballast: None
Max wing loading: 57.6 kg/sq.m (11.79 lb/sq ft)
Max speed: 140 kt (259 km/h)
Stalling speed: 37.5 kt (69.5 km/h)
Max rough air speed: 110 kt (204 km/h)
Best glide ratio: 48 at 63 kt (117 km/h)

Opener BlackFly / BlackFly International BlackFly

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The Opener BlackFly is an American electric-powered VTOL personal air vehicle designed by Canadian Marcus Leng and under development by his company, Opener, Inc of Palo Alto, California. It was publicly introduced on 12 July 2018, after nine years of development.

The first proof-of-concept version was flown on 5 October 2011, in Warkworth, Ontario, Canada, by Leng. He flew the next model, named the BlackFly, in August 2014 and then relocated the company to Palo Alto, California in September 2014. In February 2016, the second BlackFly prototype was first flown. By September 2017, the prototype had flown 10,000 mi (16,093 km) in a series of flights of at least 30 mi (48 km) each. The first pre-production aircraft was flown in October 2017.

The design is intended for the FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles category in the US and the Basic Ultralight Aeroplane category in Canada. The US version and international versions were to have different ranges, speeds and weights to comply with national regulations. The aircraft is intended to be supplied complete and ready-to-fly.

The aircraft is made from carbon-fiber reinforced epoxy with all-electric battery-powered propulsion. It has two 13.6 ft (4.15 m) cantilevered tandem wings, on the front and rear of a short fuselage. The fuselage has a single-seat cockpit under a bubble canopy. The forward wing is low, and the rear wing high, giving the cockpit good forward visibility. Each wing has four tractor configuration contrarotating propellers powered by electric motors. The tractor configuration prevents the flexible propellers from contacting the airframe. Each wingtip has winglets to improve lateral stability and reduce vortex drag. The aircraft weighs 313 lb (142 kg) empty and can carry a pilot and baggage totaling 250 lb (113 kg). It can accommodate a pilot of up to 6.5 ft (1.98 m) in height. A ballistic parachute is optional.

The aircraft is not a tiltwing, tiltrotor or ducted-fan design. Instead, the entire aircraft changes pitch. When the aircraft is parked, both wings and their motors are canted up at about 45 degrees. To ascend vertically, the aircraft pitches up 45 degrees, so that the propellers pull vertically. The wing-mounted tractor propellers move air over the wings, reducing stall speeds. So, at pitch angles near zero degrees, the aircraft can fly slowly with high angles of attack. For efficient horizontal flight, the aircraft pitches down 45 degrees, canting the wings and propellors to an optimal angle of attack. The forward wing has a slightly lower angle of attack to aid stall recovery. At low speeds the forward wing will stall first, causing the nose to fall, increasing air speed and exiting a stall.

The take-off and landing distances are 36 inches. The landing gear consists of a rub-strip on the bottom of an amphibious hull and a small rubber bumper on the rear of the fuselage. The lower edge of the winglets are skids that limit the vehicle’s roll when parked. The vehicle is designed to fly from a grass surface, but can also be flown from fresh water, asphalt, snow and ice.

Pilot controls are a joystick with a thumb control for altitude. Flight controls are triple-redundant fly-by-wire controlling the motors and dual elevons on the outer edge of both wings. Differential motor speeds provide control authority in pitch, roll and yaw. Elevons also permit control in an efficient unpowered glide mode. The elevons are in the prop-wash of the outer propellers, enhancing their roll and pitch authority at low speeds. Flight stability is software-controlled, with modes for cruise-control, “return-home,” auto-land and geo-fencing.

Most flight testing was unmanned, operated by software with a test weight in place of a pilot. Each motor weighs 4 lb (2 kg) and produces 130 lb (59 kg) of thrust. There are two batteries per motor, located in the wing, behind each motor. Adjacent batteries can be cross-connected for redundancy. The batteries are software-monitored. Avionic include Full authority autopilot, Remote controls, and VHF airband radio.

The manufacturer claims that the design is the world’s first ultralight fixed-wing, all-electric, vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Investors in the company include Google co-founder Larry Page.

The craft was still under development in 2018.

Opener has donated a first-generation BlackFly personal ultralight aircraft to the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. According to Opener, BlackFly vehicles have flown over 2,300 flights, including 900 made on preproduction models since the aircraft appeared at Oshkosh in 2018.

Opener was displaying the production version of BlackFly at the AirVenture Innovation Showcase from July 22 to July 28, 2019.

Powerplant: 8 × 112 lb thrust/engine electric motors, 42.0 hp (31.3 kW) each
Propellers: 2-bladed, 3 ft (0.91 m) diameter
Wingspan: 13 ft 7 in (4.14 m)
Length: 13 ft 5 in (4.09 m)
Height: 5 ft (1.5 m)
Empty weight: 313 lb (142 kg)
Gross weight: 563 lb (255 kg)
Fuel capacity: 12KWh
Cruise speed: 80 mph (130 km/h, 70 kn)
Range: 40 mi (64 km, 35 nmi) plus reserves
Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)
Rate of sink: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)
Crew: one

Opel-Sander-Hatry Rak.1 / Lippisch Ente

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A number of designs were built with money provided to the VfR (Society for Space Travel) in Germany in the late 1920s, by the publicity ¬seeking automobile tycoon Fritz von Opel. First to fly was the tail-first Ente (duck) designed by Professor A M Lippisch, pilotd by Fitz Starrier, it made a rocket propelled flight of about 4,000 ft (1220 m) lasting some 70 seconds, on 11 June 1928. However, it was virtually uncontrollabe and made only two further tests.

Fritz von Opel had performed a number of publicity stunts involving rocket-powered cars for his Opel motor car company. Along with Friedrich Sander, a pyrotechnics manufacturer and Max Valier, a rocketry advocate, Opel concocted a scheme to attach two rockets to an Alexander Lippisch designed tail-less glider. In the summer of 1928, the three men brought the glider, called “Ente” to Wasserkuppe and hired Fritz Stammer to test it.

Two black powder rockets were attached to the skids on the underside of the fuselage. They were to be electronically fired from a switch in the cockpit. In order to adjust the center of gravity as the powder burned, a counterweight system was positioned under the floor. The rockets were timed to be fired one after the other to provide continuous thrust. Each rocket was intended to burn for about thirty seconds.

The Rak.1, designed by Hatry and flown by von Opel, took off from a raised track on 30 September 1929. After one false start, the rocket fired and the aircraft roared across the grassy field and into the air. Stammer reached an altitude of 1,500 meters (4,900 ft.), circled the mountain and landed safely.
On the second flight, the team decided to fire both rockets simultaneously thereby doubling the thrust for a 30 seconds burn. At the instant of launch, one rocket fired, but the other one appeared to sputter and as the plane left the ground, it exploded. The blast tore holes in both wings and set them on fire. Amazingly, Stammer brought the burning aircraft back to ground from an altitude of about 65 feet and quickly abandoned it. The aircraft was a total loss, as was Fritz von Opel’s dream of rocket-powered gliders.

Powered by: Sixteen Sander solid fuel (powder) rockets, each of 55 lb (25 kg) thrust, mounted in four banks of four and fired in stages.
Attained speed: 95 mph (153 kph).
Distance flown: approx 5,000 ft (1,525m).
Accommodation: Crew of 1.

On Mark Marketeer / Marksman

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Formed 1954 as a specialist maintenance and modification contractor for Douglas B-26 Invader bombers, developing high-speed executive transport and heavily armed counterinsurgency versions. The On Mark Marketeer was a six/eight-seat corporate transport based on the B-26 airframe. The externally similar Marksman had a pressurized cabin. A B-26K Counter Invader was developed for the USAF’s Tactical Air Command.

The On Mark Com¬pany took in the surplus bombers at Van Nuys, California and turned them out with everything intact but the bomb bay doors and some of the military weapons control gear. They came to the customers in pressurized and unpressurized versions, and they were only for the select few. 45-60 were converted.

The Counter-Invader was a cleaned up, heavily armed version for the USAF’s Special Air Warfare Center.

Onishi OS-G3

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Designed and built by Mr Onishi, a Japanese sailplane pilot, the OS-G3 single-seater is powered by six model aircraft engines, mounted three on each side of the nose on a strut braced boom in line with the front of the cockpit canopy; these engines are intended to overcome the need for winch-launching or aero tows. Each 10cc OS.60 two-stroke glowplug engine drives a 12in diameter two-bladed propeller and develops 1.7hp at 14,000rpm, or 1.275hp at a less noisy 8,000rpm, the six together producing a total of 10.2hp for take-off, or 7.65hp for cruising flight. This is just enough for an unaided take-off, the take-off run being about 500ft when the OS-G3 made its first flight early in 1977. This power output leaves a 3mph margin between the cruising speed of 24mph and the stalling speed. The payload was only 154lb.

The OS-G3 is a cantilever shoulder-wing design with a swept back fin and rudder and the tailplane mounted on top; the engine slipstream is in line with the wing leading edge. There are no flaps or air brakes, and the landing gear consists of a fixed monowheel, a fixed nosewheel and a tailskid. The pilot sits under a one-piece canopy, and has six throttle levers and six cut-out switches for the engines.

Span: 46 ft 3 in
Length: 21 ft 3.5 in
Height: 5 ft 2.5 in
Wing area: 185 sqft
Aspect ratio: 11.6
Empty weight: 143 lb
Max gross weight: 297 1b
Cruising speed: 24 mph
Stalling speed: 21 mph

O’Neill Pea Pod

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Terence O’Neill’s Pea Pod N10T of 1963 was a diminutive machine in which the pilot lay in a prone position, with most of his body inside the wing. It was powered by a 35 hp Kiekhaefer O-4-35 boat engine mounted inside the vertical fin, and could be carried atop the family car. Taxi tests were performed, but it could not meet FAR 103 requirements and reportedly never flew.

O’Neill Magnum

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O’Neill Airplane designed the eight-seat Model J Magnum with unusual four-wheel undercarriage in 1980s. Further developed Magnum V8 six-seater, featuring swing tail for loading cargo, which can be built from plans and some available components.

The Magnum is a bush-type, designed around radial engines like prototype’s 350 HP turbocharged Jacobs R755S, a manufacturer’s modification of the L4M 245HP Jacobs. It features an extra-large cabin 49 inches wide by 102 inches long, plus an additional 68 inches cargo camping gear area. Special features are: stall/spin safety system with wind-wing angle indicator, vertical stabilator with forward-canted axis, and slotted stabilator; instant-droppable fuel tank to avoid post-crash fire hazard; and full-span dive flaps intended to limit airspeed to 185 mph at 3800 pounds gross, combined with structural design strength of 7 G’s yield, the maximum available from full-flapped wing at 185. Super rough-ground stability achieved by dual nosewheels.

Power (optional 245 hp) 350 hp
Gross Wt. 2900-3500 lb
Empty Wt. 1750-2000 lb
Wingspan 30 ft 3 in
Length 23 ft l1 in
Top alt, cruise 200+ mph
SL cruise 140 mph
Stall 60 mph
Climb rate 1000 fpm
Takeoff run 1000 ft
Landing roll 1000 ft
Range 400 mi. plus 45 min. reserve

Magnum V8 Pickup
Engine: Ford 351ci V8, 380 hp
Speed max: 185 mph
Cruise: 140 mph
Range: 800 sm
Stall: 61 mph
ROC: 1200 fpm
Take-off dist: 1000 ft
Landing dist: 1000 ft
Service ceiling: 20,000 ft
HP range: 350-450
Fuel cap: 110 USG
Weight empty: 1900 lbs
Gross: 3800 lbs
Height: 9 ft
Length: 25.8 ft
Wing span: 36 ft
Wing area: 189 sq.ft
Seats: 2+
Landing gear: dual nose wheel

O’Neill Aristocraft

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Aristocraft III

After the war, Waco developed a new monoplane, the Aristocraft, but abandoned it in 1947, and the company went out of business. O’Neill Airplane Co. formed 1962 to develop Waco’s last design, the Waco Model W Aristocrat, for which all rights were acquired. Terry O’Neill flew the aircraft for a brief period after he had completed the restoration.

The Waco W was flown for only a brief period as it was converted into the tail dragger Aristocraft II, with the engine mounted in the nose, in this configuration it was flown in October 1963 and retained most of the original fuselage, the wings and horizontal tail of NX34219.

O’Neill Aristocraft II

The Artstocraft uses the Waco wing design, simplified for amateur builders. The II design was awarded a Provisional Type Certificate (Al 9CE) by the FAA in 1969. It is one of the largest homebuilts, seating up to six persons. Originally powered by a 200-hp Lycoming IO-360, one amateur builder was adapting the Blanton 220-hp Ford 23 turbo and is using conventional landing gear for more speed and lower cost for cross country use.

In 1968 O’Neill refitted it with six seats, a tricycle landing gear and a single swept fin tail, in this configuration it was flown in October 1968, still registered N34219, but re-designated Model W Winner.

The O’Neill Pea Pod canard design was proposed also, but all activity on the Aristocraft terminated in 1974.

Wingspan 36 ft l0 in
Length 25 ft l0 in
Gross Wt. 2650-3300 lb
Empty Wt. 1600-1800 lb
Top speed 135 mph
Cruise 120 mph
Stall 55 mph
Climb rate 500 fpm
Takeoff run 1000 ft
Landing roll 1000 ft
Range 600 miles

Model W
Wingspan: 37ft 6in
Length: 26.7ft
Height: 8ft 4in
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