Single seat single engined high wing monoplane with conventional three axis control. Wing has swept forward leading and trailing edges, and tapering chord; no tail, canard wing. Pitch control by elevator on canard; yaw control by tip rudders; roll control by one-third span ailerons; control inputs through stick for pitch/roll and pedals for yaw. Wing braced from below by struts; wing profile Wortmann FX63 137; double surface. Undercarriage has three wheels in tricycle formation; no suspension on nosewheel and glassfibre suspension on main wheels. Push right go right nosewheel steering connected to yaw control. Brakes on nosewheel. Aluminium/tube/fabric fuselage, totally enclosed. Engine mounted at wing height driving pusher propeller.
1980 Wasserkuppe, piloted by Klaus Richter
As Albert Neukorn comfirmed, this machine was never intended for production. In fact, he wanted to design a single seater canard aircraft, as much to try out this formula as for his own pleasure. Of hybrid technology (Duralumin tubular structure with composite materials for the wing, the canard and rudders), the prototype made its first flights in 1980 and remains unique, with no direct descendants. It was originally called the AN 21. Later it was sold to a German purchaser, Klaus-Jurgen Richter, who flew it in the London to Paris in September 1982, and so the aircraft is now called the AN 21R, this last letter referring to Mr Richter himself.
1980 Wasserkuppe, piloted by Klaus Richter
Length overall 16.1 ft, 4.90 m Height overall 7.9 ft, 2.40 m Wing span 41.3 ft, 12.60 m Mean chord 2.8 ft, 0.85 m Canard span 9.8 ft, 3.00m Canard chord 1.7ft, 0.53m Total wing area 132 sq.ft, 12.3 sq.m Main wing area 115sq.ft, 10.7 sq.m Canard area 17 sq.ft, 1.61sq.m Main wing aspect ratio 14.8/1 Engine: Konig SC430, 25 hp at 4200 rpm Power per unit area 0.19 hp/sq.ft, 2.0 hp/sq.m Max level speed 81 mph, 130kph Stalling speed 26mph, 42 kph Max climb rate at sea level 500 ft/min, 2.5 m/s
Single seat single engined high wing monoplane with conventional three axis control. Wing has unswept leading and trailing edges, and constant chord; T tail. Pitch control by elevator on tail; yaw control by fin mounted rudder; roll control by one third span ailerons; control inputs through stick for pitch/roll and pedals for yaw. Wing braced from below by struts; wing profile Wortmann FX 63 137; double surface. Undercarriage has three wheels in tricycle formation with tailskid; no suspension on nosewheel and glass fibre suspension on main wheels. Push right go right nosewheel steering connected to yaw control. Brakes on main wheels. Glass fibre fuselage, partially enclosed. Engine mounted at wing height driving pusher propeller. Wing and T tail have wood spars, ribs in styrofoam and covered with expoxied glass fibre.
His first microlight made its first flights in 1978, the prototype AN 20 using a T tail carried on a Kevlar spar of round section. Connected to the fuselage at the same height as the wing, the tubular fuselage carried basically a mono wheel undercarriage but with an additional nosewheel steerable from the rudder bar, the main wheel being positioned directly below the wing. Moreover, the vertical fin below the fuselage spar was provided with a tailwheel in line with the other two.
This machine was shown in various publications under the designation of AN 20M, which was a great surprise to Albert Neukorn, who tells us that he had never called this first model by any other name than AN 20, except that it eventually became AN 20A to distinguish it from the later AN 20B. The prototype was shown at the European homebuilders meeting at Brienne in July 1982.
The AN 20B is directly evolved from its predecessor whose rectangular plan form wing it has retained, supported by a profiled strut under each half wing. A significant change is the inclusion of air brakes, while the AN 20B is provided in addition with an elegant glass fibre fairing with windscreen encompassing all the forward section of the fuselage as far as the trailing edge of the wing, where it joins the spar carrying the tail. Another important difference from the AN-20A is that this spar is no longer level with the wing but mid mounted, a change which required a re design of the T tail. As a result, the fin and rudder no longer continue below the spar. The engine, previously fitted below the spar is now carried by a tubular structure above the rear spar, effectively level with the wing. Production models use the three cylinder Konig SC430 driving a three bladed pusher propeller. Finally, a last important modification, the AN 20B replaced the single main wheel undercarriage of the AN 20A with a tricycle undercarriage whose main wheels are fitted with drum brakes.
The AN 20B was still produced by Albert Newkom himself in 1983, either ready to fly ex works without engine or as a set of plans. An attempt to set up production facility in France with the AN 20B in 1981 has been abandoned.
Length overall 17.7 ft, 5.40 m Height overall 3.9ft, 1.20m Wing span 41.3ft, 12.60m Constant chord 2.611, 0.80m Dihedral 2 degrees Sweepback 0 degrees Tailplane span 8.0ft, 2.45m Fin height 3.2ft, 0.95m Total wing area 109sq.ft, 10.1sq.m Total aileron area 8.5 sq.ft, 0.79 sq.m Fin area 6.6 sq.ft, 0.61 sq.m Tailplane area 8.4 sq.ft, 0.78 sq.m Total elevator area 4.2 sq.ft, 0.39 sq.m Wing aspect ratio 15.8/1 Wheel track 4.7ft, 1.43m Nosewheel diameter overall 8 inch, 21 cm Main wheels diameter overall 8.5 inch, 22cm Engine: Konig SC430, 24 hp at 4200 rpm Propeller diameter 42 inch, 1.06 m Belt reduction, ratio 1.8/1 Max static thrust 121 lb, 55 kg Power per unit area 0.22 hp/sq.ft, 2.4 hp/sq.m Fuel capacity 5.3 US gal, 4.4 Imp gal, 20.0 litre Empty weight 287 lb, 130 kg Max take off weight 508 lb, 230 kg Payload 221 lb, 100 kg Max wing loading 4.68 lb/sq.ft, 22.8 kg/sq.m Max power loading 21.2 lb/hp, 2.4kg/hp Load factors; +5.3, 2.6 ultimate Max level speed 93 mph, 150 kph Never exceed speed 99 mph, 160 kph Max cruising speed 68 mph, 110 kph Economic cruising speed 59 mph, 95 kph Stalling speed 31 mph, 50 kph Max climb rate at sea level 500 ft/min, 2.5 m/s Min sink rate 160 ft/min at 37 mph, 0.80 m/s at 60 kph Best glide ratio with power off 18/1 at 37 mph, 60 kph Take off distance 360 ft, 110 m Land¬ing distance 330 ft, 100m Service ceiling 11,500 ft, 3500 m Range at average cruising speed 186 mile, 300km
The Elfe series started from a 9 m sailplane designed by W.Pfenninger before World War II. Just after World War 2 Albert Neukom of Switzerland began the creation of a line of sailplanes bearing the name EIfe; the first of these, the EIfe 1, had a wing span of only 9m (29 ft 6.25 in), later increased to 11m (36 ft 1 in).
A new design was introduced in 1947 to become the Elfe 2, probably the first sailplane with a laminar flow airfoil. The EIfe 2, with a span of 50ft 6.25in, had camber-changing flaps.
Subsequently the series was further developed by Albert Neukom with the Elfe M with laminar flow wings, Elfe MN and AN66 before the Standard Elfe S-1 appeared in 1964 with a V-tail. The prototype high performance single-seater Standard EIfe S-1 first flew on 1 May 1964. This was followed by the S-2 with conventional tail with the tailplane at the base of the fin.
The S-3, the production model of the S-2, first flew in May 1966 with a tailplane fixed part of the way up the fin. It has trailing edge airbrakes and a rubber- sprung retractable main wheel. The EIfe S-3 has a high cantilever wing built in three parts, and of plywood-balsa sandwich construction; it is fitted with trailing edge air brakes. The fuselage and tail unit are of glassfibre and plywood sandwich construction, while the landing gear consists of a retractable rubber-sprung monowheel with brake. The pilot sits upright under a removable transparent canopy.
Flown by the Swiss plot Markus Ritzi, a Standard EIfe took 2nd place in its class at the 1965 World Gliding Championships held at South Cerney, and at the 1968 World Championships at Leszno in Poland a Standard EIfe S-3 flown by Andrew Smith of the USA came 1st out of 57 entries, with other Elfes placed 4th and 6th.
A total of 18 Standard Elfes were flying by April 1970, the year in which the developed S-4A EIfe 15 first flew.
Standard EIfe S-3 Wing span: 15 m / 49 ft 2.5 in Wing area: 11.9 sq.m / 128.1 sq.ft Wing section: Wortmann FX Series Length: 7.30 m / 23 ft 1.5 in Height: 1.50m / 4 ft 11 in Empty Weight: 208 kg / 459 lb Payload: 112 kg / 246 lb Gross Weight: 320 kg / 705 lb Water ballast: None Wing Load: 26.89 kg/sq.m / 6.79 lb/sq.ft Aspect ratio: 19 L/D Max: 37.5 @ 95 kph / 51 kt / 59 mph Min Sink: 0.64 m/s / 2.1 fps / 1.24 kt at 47 mph / 40 kt / 74 km/h Max speed: 150 mph / 129.5 kt / 240 km/h (in smooth air) Max rough air speed: 108 kt / 200 km/h Stalling speed: 30 kt / 55 km/h No. of Seats: 1 Structure: Balsa/ plywood sandwich wing; glass fibre/ plywood sandwich fuselage
In 1974 Wil Neubert built the Neubert Nostalgia N7X, Stolp Starduster Too variation. A two place cabin biplane powered by a 220hp Continental, it was seriously modified to resemble a USN Boeing F4B.
Became established in the British aircraft industry before First World War by obtaining an agency for Sanchez-Besa aircraft. Subcontractor for components in war. Built one example of the Monosoupape Gnome-powered Nestler Scout to the design of Monsieur Boudot. It was destroyed at Hendon in 1917 and no further aircraft were constructed.
