The Applebay GA-II Chiricahua is an American high-wing, single-seat, FAI Standard Class glider that was designed and constructed by George Applebay, first flying in 1970.[1]
| GA-II Chiricahua | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Glider |
| National origin | United States |
| Designer | George Applebay |
| First flight | 1970 |
| Status | Production completed |
| Number built | one |
Design and development
editApplebay started the Chiricahua as a standard class sailplane in 1959, but the aircraft was not completed for 11 years, first flying in 1970.[1] It was named for the Chiricahua people, a group of Apache Native Americans.
The aircraft is made from wood and covered in a combination of plywood and doped Ceconite. Its 15 m (49.2 ft) span wing employs a Göttingen 549 airfoil and features Schempp-Hirth style top surface airbrakes. As originally specified for the standard class, the landing gear was a fixed monowheel.[1][2]
Only one example was built.[1]
Operational history
editOn 7 July 1974 at New River, Arizona the prototype, N9413, was involved in an accident and substantially damaged. The aircraft was on a soaring flight, ran out of lift, made an attempted landing on a road in a 20 kn (37 km/h) crosswind and struck a tree. The 24-year-old pilot, who had 32 hours of flying time total, including 11 hours on type, was not injured.[3] The aircraft has since been re-registered as N53MB.[4]
Specifications (GA-II)
editData from Sailplane Directory[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Length: 49 ft 3 in (15 m)
- Wing area: 148.2 sq ft (13.77 m2)
- Aspect ratio: 16.2:1
- Airfoil: Gottingen 549
- Empty weight: 590 lb (268 kg)
- Gross weight: 819 lb (371 kg)
Performance
- Wing loading: 5.47 lb/sq ft (26.7 kg/m2)
See also
editRelated lists
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Activate Media (2006). "Chiricahua GA-II Applebay". Archived from the original on August 29, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
- ^ Lednicer, David (2010). "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
- ^ National Transportation Safety Board (August 2011). "NTSB Identification: LAX75DUJ07". Retrieved August 8, 2011.
- ^ "FAA Registry N Number Inquiry". FAA. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
