The Prue Standard 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 confi ...
, single-seat,
V-tail
The V-tail or ''Vee-tail'' (sometimes called a butterfly tail or Rudlicki's V-tailGudmundsson S. (2013). "General Aviation Aircraft Design: Applied Methods and Procedures" (Reprint). Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 489. , 9780123973290) of an aircraft ...
ed,
FAI Standard Class
Competition classes in gliding, as in other sports, mainly exist to ensure fairness in competition. However the classes have not been targeted at fostering technological development as in other sports. Instead classes have arisen because of:
* t ...
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
Irving Prue.
[Rogers, Bennett: ''1974 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine'', page 34. Soaring Society of America, August 1974. USPS 499-920]
Design and development
The Prue Standard was designed in response to the
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The (; FAI; en, World Air Sports Federation) is the world governing body for air sports, and also stewards definitions regarding human spaceflight. It was founded on 14 October 1905, and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It maintai ...
introduction of rules creating the
Standard Class. The prototype was completed in 1961.
The Standard is an all-metal aircraft with a fixed monowheel
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 ...
. The prototype originally had wings with a span and
dive brakes
Diving most often refers to:
* Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water
* Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes
Diving or Dive may also refer to:
Sports
* Dive (American football), a ...
on the lower wing surface. The wing employs a
NACA
The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its assets ...
63-618
laminar flow 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.
...
, an
I-beam
An I-beam, also known as H-beam (for universal column, UC), w-beam (for "wide flange"), universal beam (UB), rolled steel joist (RSJ), or double-T (especially in Polish language, Polish, Bulgarian language, Bulgarian, Spanish language, Spanish ...
spar
SPAR, originally DESPAR, styled as DE SPAR, is a Dutch multinational that provides branding, supplies and support services for independently owned and operated food retail stores. It was founded in the Netherlands in 1932, by Adriaan van Well, ...
and has a semi-tapered planform.
Only three examples were completed, all were different and all have since been modified further. The type was further refined into a new design in 1962, the
Prue Super Standard.
Operational history
Paul Bikle
Paul F. Bikle (5 June 1916 – 19 January 1991) was director of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Facility from 1959 until 1971, and author of more than 40 technical publications. He was associat ...
flew the second Standard completed to a world record distance of in 1963. That flight was the longest ever made by a sailplane up to that date.
The prototype was flown cross country and had accumulated more than 850 hours by 1974.
All aircraft were registered as ''
Experimental Amateur-builts''. Only one Prue Standard still exists.
Variants
;Standard prototype
:The prototype,
registered N9726Z, later had its wings extended to , giving it a wing area of and an aspect ratio of 23:1. The V-tail was also made longer. The modifications also raised the empty weight to . The prototype was converted to a
Super Standard and has been de-registered.
;Standard #2
:This aircraft had a longer
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 ...
and a deeper cockpit section. It also featured top and bottom dive brakes. It later had its wings extended. It was registered as N9730Z, but is no longer on 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 m ...
registry.
;Standard #3
:This aircraft was built by Bob Gravance of
Palmdale, California
Palmdale is a city in northern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. The city lies in the Antelope Valley region of Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains separate Palmdale from the Los Angeles Basin to the south.
On Aug ...
. It features dive brakes on the bottom of the wing only, but externally mounted. Otherwise the fuselage is the same as #2. This aircraft had a new set of longer wings built for it, featuring a straight taper. The aircraft was reportedly a total loss after a tied-down accident at
El Mirage, California
El Mirage (corruption of ''El Miraje'', Spanish for "The Mirage") is an unincorporated community in the western Victor Valley of the Mojave Desert, within San Bernardino County, California.
El Mirage is next to the El Mirage Lake, a dry lake be ...
. Registered as N2728Z the aircraft is the sole Standard still on the FAA registry.
Specifications (Standard - original configuration)
See also
References
{{Irving Prue aircraft
1960s United States sailplanes
Homebuilt aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1961
V-tail aircraft