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The Aviafiber Canard 2FL was a one-person recreational aircraft of highly unusual design, designed and built in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Design and development
Variously described as a rigid-wing hang-glider or as a foot-launched sailplane, the Canard 2FL was the brainchild of Swiss aerodynamicist
Hans Farner
Hans may refer to:
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* Hans (name), a masculine given name
* Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician
** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans
** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi a ...
. Of fibreglass construction, it consisted of a tiny fuselage, just big enough to accommodate the pilot in a prone position, provided with doors in the bottom through which the pilot's legs could extend for takeoff and landing. A large
canard
Canard is French for duck, a type of aquatic bird.
Canard may also refer to:
Aviation
*Canard (aeronautics), a small wing in front of an aircraft's main wing
* Aviafiber Canard 2FL, a single seat recreational aircraft of canard design
* Blé ...
was fitted at the nose (as the name suggests), and the main lifting surfaces were supported atop tall, V-shaped pylons which both generated lift and acted as vertical fins. Wings, pylons and canard have Wortmann FX-67-170
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.
...
section.
A further development of the concept can be seen in the Canard Aviation Canard SC, the production version of the 2FL. During flight tests of the SC, from 23 July 1983, progress was accelerated by the use of an auxiliary
König SC 430
The König SC 430 is a three-cylinder, two-stroke, single ignition radial aircraft engine designed for powered paragliders and single place ultralight trikes.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page G-5 Cybair L ...
3-cyl. two-stroke radial engine mounted on a pylon between the V-struts and main-plane, driving a folding propeller. Results of flight testing with the engine running encouraged Farner and Bucher to design a dedicated motor-glider version as the Canard Aviation Canard SCM, powered by a engine.
Farner had previously designed a motor-glider using the 2FL concept as the
Farner HF Colibri 1 SL
The Farner HF Colibri 1 SL was an unusual canard motor glider with a unique control system, designed and built in Switzerland in the late 1970s. Only one was constructed; much modified during the 1980s, it was still flying in 1990.
Design and ...
, which first flew in 1979.
The designer, Hans Farner, was killed flying one of their aircraft, prompting business partners to withdraw the Canard 2FL, Canard SC and Canard SCM from sale, buying back the small number that had already been sold.
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Variants
;Aviafiber Canard 2FL:
;Farner HF Colibri 1 SL
The Farner HF Colibri 1 SL was an unusual canard motor glider with a unique control system, designed and built in Switzerland in the late 1970s. Only one was constructed; much modified during the 1980s, it was still flying in 1990.
Design and ...
:
;Canard Aviation Canard SC:
;Canard Aviation Canard SCM:
Specifications
References
Further reading
*
*{{cite journal, last1=Allen, first1=Bill, title=Hoist on your own canard, journal=Popular Mechanics, date=July 1978, pages=57–58, 122
External links
The Rigid Wing WebsitePictures
1970s Swiss sailplanes
Glider aircraft
Canard aircraft
Parasol-wing aircraft
Prone pilot aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1978