The Pacific D-8 is an American, single-seat,

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 ...

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 by Ken Coward and made available as plans for amateur construction.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 17. Soaring Society of America, November 1983. USPS 499-920Renshaw, Kevin: ''Pacifying the Pacific D-8'',

Volume 46, Number 8, August 1982 pages 22-25.

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 ...

Design and development

The D-8 was conceived by Coward as an easy-to-build and inexpensive all-

aluminium 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. I ...

glider with good performance, that could be flown with or without a canopy. Later flight testing of a completed D-8 showed that the hoped-for performance was not achieved as the

glide ratio In aerodynamics, the lift-to-drag ratio (or L/D ratio) is the lift generated by an aerodynamic body such as an aerofoil or aircraft, divided by the aerodynamic drag caused by moving through air. It describes the aerodynamic efficiency under giv ...

was measured at just 17:1 with no canopy fitted. Coward designed the D-8 and sold plans, but never built a prototype. The first D-8 was built by Klaus Hill and Bruno Hauffe who purchased plans in 1963. Virl Kimber made the first flight of the aircraft in May 1964. Early aircraft built showed that the ailerons and

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally air or water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adve ...

were too small and that the wing was set at too high an angle of incidence for safety and most were subsequently modified. The plans were changed to incorporate larger ailerons. The all-metal wing is a one piece unit in span and in weight, that proved a challenge to design a trailer to carry. At least five were completed, including one built by members of the Lockhaven Glider Club in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. That same aircraft was used for extensive flight testing by a subsequent owner to accurately measure its performance. One was built as a powered

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 ...

Specifications (D-8)

References

{{reflist 1960s United States sailplanes Aircraft first flown in 1964

Design and development

Specifications (D-8)

See also

References