The Air Est JCD 03 Pelican is a French
mid-wing
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
,
twin tail
A twin tail is a specific type of vertical stabilizer arrangement found on the empennage of some aircraft. Two vertical stabilizers—often smaller on their own than a single conventional tail would be—are mounted at the outside of the aircra ...
ed,
flying wing
A flying wing is a tailless fixed-wing aircraft that has no definite fuselage, with its crew, payload, fuel, and equipment housed inside the main wing structure. A flying wing may have various small protuberances such as pods, nacelles, blis ...
single-seat
motor glider
A motor glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that can be flown with or without engine power. The FAI Gliding Commission Sporting Code definition is: a fixed-wing aerodyne equipped with a means of propulsion (MoP), capable of sustained soaring flight ...
that was designed by
Jean-Claude Debreyer and produced by
Air Est Services of
Marly, Moselle and supplied as a kit for
amateur construction or as a complete aircraft.
[Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 303. BAI Communications. ]
Design and development
The Pelican has an unconventional layout, based on the
Fauvel AV.36
The Fauvel AV.36 was a single-seat tailless glider designed in France in the 1950s by Charles Fauvel. Although the "AV" in ''AV.36'' stands for ''Aile Volante'' (Flying Wing), it was not a true flying wing: it featured two large fins mounted on ...
, with a low
aspect ratio wing, twin rudders mounted at mid-span and a
pusher configuration
In an aircraft with a pusher configuration (as opposed to a tractor configuration), the propeller(s) are mounted behind their respective engine(s). Since a pusher propeller is mounted behind the engine, the drive shaft is in compression in nor ...
Solo 210
The Hirth F-36 is a single-cylinder, two-stroke, carburetted aircraft engine designed for use on ultralight aircraft, especially powered paragliders and ultralight trikes. It is noted for its extremely small equipped weight of including exh ...
engine mounted in the rear
fuselage
The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...
producing .
The aircraft is constructed from
fibreglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...
, with some surfaces
fabric covered. The span wing is semi-tapered, tapering outside the rudders and employs a Fauvel F4 17%
airfoil
An airfoil (American English) or aerofoil (British English) is the cross-sectional shape of an object whose motion through a gas is capable of generating significant lift, such as a wing, a sail, or the blades of propeller, rotor, or turbine.
...
. The fuselage is just in length, making the aircraft very compact. The
landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
is
monowheel gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
, with a small tail wheel and outrigger wheels at midspan.
With the Solo engine the take-off distance is and the landing distance . Cruise speed is . A variety of engines can be fitted.
In 1998 a completed aircraft was
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
12,950 and a kit was US$8,000. The kit did not include the engine, propeller or instruments. Construction time from the supplied kit was estimated at 300 hours. One example was reportedly completed and flying in 1998.
Specifications (Pelican)
See also
References
External links
Pelican photos and three view{{Air Est aircraft
1980s French sailplanes
Homebuilt aircraft
Motor gliders
Single-engined pusher aircraft