The Schreder HP-12A is an American
homebuilt
Homebuilt machines are machines built outside of specialised workshops or factories. This can include different things such as kit cars or homebuilt computers, but normally it pertains to homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or ...
,
mid-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 ...
,
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, 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 assembled out of various components all designed by
Richard Schreder
Richard E. Schreder (25 September 1915 – 2 August 2002) was an American naval aviator and sailplane developer, responsible for design and development of the HP/RS-series kit sailplanes marketed from 1962 until about 1982. Schreder also foun ...
.
[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 ind ...
'', page 19. Soaring Society of America, November 1983. USPS 499-920
The aircraft is often confused with a completely different aircraft, the
Schreder HP-12
The Schreder HP-12 was an American FAI Standard Class glider designed by Richard Schreder for the 1965 World Gliding Championships.Said, Bob: ''1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine'', page 19. Soaring Society of America, November 1983. ...
.
Design and development
The first HP-12A (''HP'' stands for ''high performance'') was built by a series of amateur sailplane builders, each contributing to the construction. It started off with Art Heabener of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
constructing a rear
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 ...
from the plans for the original HP-12. The incomplete aircraft was then purchased by Tom Hall of
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
who built a set of
HP-14 wings for it and then moved the incomplete aircraft to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
and later to
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
. It was in Illinois that Hall sold the still-incomplete aircraft to Rudy Kunda and Bill Carlson in 1977. They completed the aircraft in 1978.
The finished aircraft retains the HP-12 rear fuselage and HP-14 wings and has added an
HP-18 V-tail and the forward fuselage from an
HP-10. Kunda indicated that he does not know why 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 ...
identifies it as an HP-12A, but it is a 100% Schreder design.
Operational history
In April 2011 the FAA registry listed three HP-12As.
Specifications (HP-12A)
See also
References
{{Schreder Sailplanes
1960s United States sailplanes
Schreder aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1965
V-tail aircraft