The Leffler-MacFarlane LM-1 is an American
mid-wing, single-seat,
FAI Open Class 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 designed and constructed by Al Leffler, Walt MacFarlane and Bill Meyer, first flying in November 1963.
[Rogers, Bennett: ''1974 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine'', page 45. Soaring Society of America, August 1974. USPS 499-920]
Design and development
The LM-1 was built using a modified wing from a
Laister-Kauffman TG-4
The Laister-Kauffmann TG-4 (designated LK-10 Yankee Doodle 2 by its designer) was a sailplane produced in the United States during the Second World War for training cargo glider pilots. It was a conventional sailplane design with a fuselage of st ...
. The wing retains its original wood and doped
aircraft fabric construction, its span as well as the use of a
NACA 4418
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.
...
at the
wing root, transitioning to a NACA 4409 at the
wing tip. The newly designed fuselage is made from welded steel tube and
fiberglass. The
landing gear was originally a retractable dual-wheel hydraulic arrangement, that was replaced with a more conventional retractable monowheel from a
Schreder HP-14
The HP-14 is a Richard Schreder-designed all-metal glider aircraft that was offered as a kit for homebuilding during the 1960s and 1970s. It was originally developed by retrofitting improved wings to the fuselage and tail of the HP-13, and f ...
.
The aircraft was registered with the US
Federal Aviation Administration in the ''
Experimental - Amateur-built'' category. Only one was ever constructed.
In 1974 it was reported that plans were underway to create a new span wing for the LM-1, that would feature a Wortmann
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.
...
.
Operational history
By 1974 the LM-1 had flown of cross country distance. In August 2011, 48 years after its first flight, the aircraft was still registered with the FAA and was owned by Bill Meyers, one of the original partners.
Specifications (LM-1)
See also
References
{{reflist
1960s United States sailplanes
Homebuilt aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1963