The Eklund TE-1 was a Finnish-built single-seat flying boat of the late 1940s.

Eklund TE-1
The Eklund TE-1 single-seat flying boat of 1949 at the Aviation Museum, Helsinki Vantaa airport, in September 1994
Role single-seat flying boat
National origin Finland
Manufacturer Eklund
Designer Torolf Eklund
First flight 24 February 1949
Retired 1969
Status preserved in museum
Primary user private owner
Number built 1

Design and development

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The TE-1 was designed in late 1948 by Torolf Eklund, who was a Finnish aircraft designer for Valtion Lentokonetehdas between 1935 and 1962. The TE-1 was financed and built by Eklund as a private venture.

Operational history

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The TE-1 first flew in February 1949 powered by a 28 h.p. Poinsard engine. This powerplant suffered a crankcase failure, and as spare parts were no longer available, it was replaced by a Continental A40-5 engine.[1] At the time of its first flight, the TE-1 was claimed to be the world's smallest flying boat. The aircraft last flew in 1969. It is now preserved in the Suomen Ilmailumuseo (Finnish Aviation Museum) at Helsinki Vantaa airport.[2]

Variants

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The following proposed derivatives were developed, but only the prototype TE-1 was completed and flown.[1]

  • TE-1A with retractable four-wheel undercarriage
  • TE-1B flying boat configuration
  • TE-1B-S flying boat with skis
  • TE-1B-G flying boat with breaching gear[3]

Specifications (TE-1)

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Data from [1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 5.2 m (17 ft 1 in)
  • Wingspan: 7.5 m (24 ft 7 in)
  • Height: 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)
  • Wing area: 5.57 m2 (60.0 sq ft)
  • Airfoil: NACA 4415[4]
  • Empty weight: 201 kg (443 lb)
  • Gross weight: 324 kg (714 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Continental A40-5 4-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine, 30 kW (40 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 150 km/h (93 mph, 81 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 132 km/h (82 mph, 71 kn)

See also

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Related lists

References

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  1. ^ a b c Green, William (1965). The Aircraft of the World. Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd. p. 32.
  2. ^ Ogden, Bob (2006). Aviation Museums and Collections of Mainland Europe. Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p. 86. ISBN 0-85130-375-7.
  3. ^ "Eklund TE-1". Sport Aviation. May 1958.
  4. ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.