The Sands Replica 1929 Primary Glider 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 ...

, wire-braced single-seat,

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 ...

that was designed by Ron Sands Sr for amateur construction, with kits supplied by

Wicks Aircraft Supply Wicks may refer to: *Wicks (hairstyle) *Wicks (surname) * ''Wicks'' (TV series), a Canadian television series (1979-81) * See also *Wick (disambiguation) Wick most often refers to: * Capillary action ("wicking") ** Candle wick, the cord used ...

. The plans are now sold by Sands' son, Ron Sands Jr.Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 314. BAI Communications. Downey, Julia: ''2002 Plans Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 19, Number 1, January 2002, page 28. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851Downey, Julia: ''2003 Plans Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 20, Number 1, January 2003, page 27. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851

Design and development

Sands developed his replica 1929-style primary glider from the original designs of that era. He promotes it as "much safer than hang gliders or ultralights... nexcellent project for school or clubs". The aircraft is made from wood, tube and doped

aircraft fabric Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures. The de Havilland Mosquito is an example of this technique, as are ...

. Its span wing is cable-braced from 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 ...

and employs a

Clark Y Clark Y is the name of a particular airfoil profile, widely used in general purpose aircraft designs, and much studied in aerodynamics over the years. The profile was designed in 1922 by Virginius E. Clark using thickness distribution of the Germa ...

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. ...

. Like all primary gliders the cockpit is just a seat mounted on the keel with no windshield fitted. 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 ...

is a fixed skid, fitted to the underside of the keel. The aircraft is designed to be

bungee launch Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is a ...

ed from a slope or

auto-tow Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is al ...

ed. The aircraft can be disassembled for storage or ground transportation. Sands estimates that construction takes 200 hours. In 2011 plans cost

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

40 and included two 24" by 36" (60 X 90 cm) sheets, a materials list and "Safety Tips". In 2015 the available Wicks five part kit totaled US$7644.14.

Variants

Plans for 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 aircraft t ...

version are also available.

Specifications (1929 Primary Glider)

References

External links

* {{Sands aircraft Replica 1929 Primary Glider 1980s United States sailplanes Homebuilt aircraft High-wing aircraft