The Manuel VI Primary was a wire-braced
monoplane
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 ...
primary glider
Primary gliders are a category of aircraft that enjoyed worldwide popularity during the 1920s and 1930s as people strove for simple and inexpensive ways to learn to fly.Schweizer, Paul A: ''Wings Like Eagles, The Story of Soaring in the United Sta ...
designed and built by W L. (Bill) Manuel whilst serving in the
RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
in 1930. It flew successfully but only one was built.
Design and development
The Manuel Primary was a wooden aircraft built around an open, vertical, tapered
girder
A girder () is a support beam used in construction. It is the main horizontal support of a structure which supports smaller beams. Girders often have an I-beam cross section composed of two load-bearing ''flanges'' separated by a stabilizing ' ...
with a horizontal upper member and a lower one shaped at the front into a shallow keel. The girder was strengthened with a series of vertical and diagonal cross-pieces. The keel projected forward of the foremost vertical member and carried the pilot's seat on its upper edge. The thick-profile wing was attached to the upper part of the girder and was straight edged with constant chord apart from the angled tips of the
ailerons
An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in Flight dynamics, roll (or ...
. Extensions of two of the forward girder cross-pieces formed a triangular structure over the wing which acted as a
king post
A king post (or king-post or kingpost) is a central vertical post used in architectural or bridge designs, working in tension to support a beam below from a truss apex above (whereas a crown post, though visually similar, supports items above fro ...
for a pair of
landing wires
In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of strut, which act in c ...
. Flying wires from the keel and the upper member about half way to the rear of the girder carried the lifting loads on the wing. There were also bracing wires from wing to the rear of the aircraft to restrain horizontal bending of the girder. The rectangular tailplane was likewise fixed to the top of the girder and carried
elevators
An elevator or lift is a cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or decks of a building, vessel, or other structure. They are ...
with a cut-out in which the
all-moving rectangular
rudder
A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally aircraft, air or watercraft, water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to ...
, which extended to the lower girder, could operate.
[
]
Operational history
The glider flew for the first time on 30 August 1930 at RAF Hawkinge
Royal Air Force Hawkinge or more simply RAF Hawkinge is a former Royal Air Force station located east of Ashford, north of Folkestone, Kent and west of Dover, Kent, England. The airfield was used by both the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal ...
in Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, where Corporal Manuel was based. He made many more flights in it[ and other Channel Gliding Club pilots also flew it.][ It was finally destroyed in a road accident in the way to a meeting near ]Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
in October 1930.[
]
Specifications
See also
References
External links
*
{{W. L. Manuel aircraft
1930s British sailplanes
Manuel gliders
Aircraft first flown in 1930