The Franklin PS-2 is an American,

high-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 co ...

, strut-braced, single seat,

glider Glider may refer to: Aircraft and transport Aircraft * Glider (aircraft), heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight ** Glider (sailplane), a rigid-winged glider aircraft with an undercarriage, used in the sport of glidin ...

that was designed by R. E. Franklin and produced by the Franklin Glider Corporation starting in 1930.Said, Bob: ''1983 Sailplane Directory,

Soaring Magazine ''SOARING'' is a magazine published monthly as a membership benefit of the Soaring Society of America. It was first published in 1937. The headquarters is in Hobbs, New Mexico. The magazine's article topics include safety issues and accounts of in ...

'', page 12. Soaring Society of America, November 1983. USPS 499-920

Design and development

The prototype PS-2 was the wingspan ''Texaco Eaglet'', flown in 1930. The production PS-2 had shorter wings. The PS-2 is constructed with a steel tube

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 aircraf ...

and a wooden wing, all covered in doped aircraft fabric covering. The wings lack spoilers of other glide-path control devices and are supported by dual, parallel struts. The landing gear is a fixed monowheel and a skid.

Operational history

The prototype Eaglet performed a number of long tows, including one flown by

Frank Hawks Frank Monroe Hawks (March 28, 1897 - August 23, 1938) was a pilot in the United States Army Air Service during World War I and was known during the 1920s and 1930s as a record breaking aviator, using a series of Texaco-sponsored aircraft, setting ...

from

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

to Elmira, New York in 1930 and is now in the National Air and Space Museum. In 1934, the PS-2 was the glider of choice for the ''Lustig Skytrain'' experiment. The concept was to tow three gliders in

tandem Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which a team of machines, animals or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction. The original use of the term in English was in ''tandem harness'', which is used for two ...

, taking off from

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

and releasing one each over

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

and

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

The gliders were piloted by Jack O'Meara, PS-2 designer R.E. Franklin and Stan Smith. The Skytrain was intended to be a proof-of-concept for a future airline service, but was not pursued. The PS-2 was also used in 1934 for a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

primary flight training experiment in Pensacola, Florida, designed by Ralph Barnaby The PS-2 was also flown by many early glider pilots including

Richard Chichester du Pont Richard Chichester du Pont (January 2, 1911 – September 11, 1943) was an American businessman and an aviation and glider pioneer who was a member of the prominent Du Pont family. He was the founder of the major US legacy carrier US Airways, ...

, Warren Eaton, Floyd Sweet and Stan Smith. In 1983, two were reported as being still flown and one was under restoration by the designer's son, Chuck Franklin. The

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...

had seven PS-2s registered in March 2011, including the Franklin-Stevens PS-2.

Variants

;Texaco Eaglet :Prototype with span wings ;PS-2 :Production model with a wingspan ;Franklin-Stevens PS-2 :Modified model ;TG-15 :United States Army Air Corps designation for eight PS-2 gliders impressed as training gliders in 1942. ;TG-17 :United States Army Air Corps designation for one PS-2 gliders impressed as a training glider in 1942 (serial number ''42-57193'').

Aircraft on display

* National Air and Space Museum *

National Museum of Naval Aviation The National Naval Aviation Museum, formerly known as the National Museum of Naval Aviation and the Naval Aviation Museum, is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Founded in 1962 and moved to its curr ...

National Soaring Museum The National Soaring Museum (NSM) is an aviation museum whose stated aim is to preserve the history of motorless flight. It is located on top of Harris Hill near Elmira, New York, United States. The NSM is the Soaring Society of America's officia ...

- four, plus one Franklin-Stevens PS-2 *

US Southwest Soaring Museum The US Southwest Soaring Museum is an aviation museum, located at 918 E US Route 66, in Moriarty, New Mexico, United States that focuses on the history of gliding in the western United States. The museum is an affiliate member of the Soaring Socie ...

Yankee Air Museum The Yankee Air Museum is an aviation museum located at Willow Run Airport in Van Buren Township, Michigan. The museum has a small fleet of flying aircraft and a collection of static display aircraft outdoors. History The Yankee Air Force Inc. w ...

, Belleville, Michigan

Specifications (PS-2)

References

External links

Photos of the PS-2 in the NSM
{{US glider aircraft 1930s United States sailplanes Glider aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1930