The Gehrlein Precursor is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
,
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 co ...
, 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 ...
designed by
Larry Gehrlein in 1965 and assembled from
Schweizer Aircraft parts.
[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 in ...
'', page 28 and 43. Soaring Society of America
The Soaring Society of America (SSA) was founded at the instigation of Warren E. Eaton to promote the sport of soaring in the USA and internationally. The first meeting was held in New York City in the McGraw–Hill Building on February 20, 193 ...
November 1983. USPS 499-920
Design and development
There was just one
Schweizer 1-23C built and it was owned and modified by Gehrlein. The aircraft was crashed and rebuilt with new 1-23D wings. The 1-23C's damaged wings were rebuilt and formed the basis for the Precursor. The
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 aircraf ...
for the Precursor started life as a 1963 model
Schweizer 1-26A. The two components were reworked by Gehrlein and his two sons, Rod and Jay, in 1965. They took the 1-26A fuselage and mounted the wings from the Schweizer 1-23C, modifying the fuselage, which had mounted the original 1-26 wings in the
mid position to accept the 1-23C wings in the high position. The resulting aircraft is registered with 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 ...
in the ''Experimental - Racing - Amateur Built - Exhibition'' category.
The Precursor is of all-metal construction and features a fixed monowheel landing gear, with a small tail caster. Only one Precursor was built.
Operational history
PIlot reports indicate that the Precursor climbs well in thermals and exhibits stable handling.
Gehrlein eventually sold the one-of-a-kind design to Les Stoner of
Houston, Texas and today it is owned by Gehrlein's son, Rod, and based in
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 ...
.
Specifications (Precursor)
See also
References
{{reflist
1960s United States sailplanes
Homebuilt aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1965