The Rhein-Flugzeugbau RF-1 was a prototype
channel wing
The channel wing is an aircraft wing principle developed by Willard Ray Custer in the 1920s. The most important part of the wing consists of a half-tube with an engine placed in the middle, driving a propeller placed at the rear end of the cha ...
aircraft.
Design and development
The RF-1 is a modification of the channel wing concept, that uses a single channel and propeller to eliminate the asymmetrical lift issues with a twin channel wing design. The "channel" is an
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.
...
-shaped section along the lower arc of the rearward propeller that produces additional lift from the propwash. The RF-1's propeller was completely shrouded, creating a hybrid ducted propeller. Twin engine redundancy is maintained with multiple engines driving a central propeller with freewheeling clutches to allow for an engine failure.
The aircraft had the unique shape to facilitate a channel wing design. The fuselage was composed of welded steel tubing with a composite skin. 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 ...
was electrically retractable.
Operational history
The prototype was built at
Krefeld/Mönchengladbach and was only flown once.
Variants
;RF-1 V1
:The original prototype
;RF-1 V2
:A modified prototype that did not go into production. Changes included engines.
Specifications (Rhein-Flugzeugbau RF-1)
See also
References
{{RFB aircraft
1960s German civil utility aircraft
RF-001
Twin-engined single-prop pusher aircraft
Ducted fan-powered aircraft
Mid-engined aircraft
Channel-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1960
High-wing aircraft