The Birdman Project 102, also known as Windsoar, was an

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when a ...

high wing, single engine, pod-and-boom,

conventional landing gear Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...

-equipped, ultralight

motor glider A motor glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that can be flown with or without engine power. The FAI Gliding Commission Sporting Code definition is: a fixed-wing aerodyne equipped with a means of propulsion (MoP), capable of sustained soaring flight ...

originally intended for production by

Birdman Enterprises Birdman Enterprises Limited was a Canadian aircraft manufacturer that commenced business in 1973 and became well known for its line of hang gliders and later its ultralight aircraft until its demise in late 1987.Jones, Terry: ''Birdman WT ...

.Taylor, John WR: ''Janes All the Worlds Aircraft 1982-83'' page 626, Janes Publishing Company, 1982.

Development

Project 102 was intended to result in a production lightweight motor glider and was designed in 1981 by David Marsden from the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...

with assistance from Birdman Enterprises' designer Vladimir Talanczuk. The production aircraft was tentatively named the ''Birdman Windsoar''. The Project 102 aircraft was built from

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...

and foam. The all-metal wing was cantilever, stressed to +6/-6 g and featured full-span reflexing ailerons that could be raised to increase cruise performance, as well as

winglets Wingtip devices are intended to improve the efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft by reducing drag. Although there are several types of wing tip devices which function in different manners, their intended effect is always to reduce an aircraft' ...

. The wing centre was covered with

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 ...

. The cockpit included a windshield, with the sides left open, although a full enclosure was intended to be optional. The conventional low tail was mounted on a long aluminum tail boom. The single engine was in pusher configuration and was planned for . The Windsoar was planned to be delivered to buyers as an assembly kit that would take about 100–200 hours to complete. The major structural assembly would be completed at the factory and the builder would have been required to complete the bolting and riveting, as well as installing the fabric. Project 102 was supposed to fly in the summer of 1982, with kit production commencing the following autumn and winter and customer deliveries in the spring of 1983. The aircraft never entered production.

Specifications (Project 102)

References

{{Birdman Enterprises 1980s Canadian sailplanes Canadian experimental aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1982 High-wing aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft