The Perl PG-130 Penetrator is an American
mid-wing, 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 designed and constructed by
Harry Perl.
[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 52. Soaring Society of America November 1983. USPS 499-920
Design and development
The PG-130 was completed in 1953. The aircraft has a wooden structure, with the wings and tail covered in doped
aircraft fabric covering
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 ar ...
. The span wing employs a Göttingen Gö 549
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.
...
and features
dive brakes
Diving most often refers to:
* Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water
* Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes
Diving or Dive may also refer to:
Sports
* Dive (American football), a ...
. The wing has a foam-filled
leading edge. The tail is an
all-flying design. The aircraft originally took off from a jettisonable take-off dolly and landed on a fixed skid, but was later modified with a fixed monowheel.
The sole example of the PG-130 was registered with the US
Federal Aviation Administration as an ''
Experimental - Amateur-built''.
Operational history
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 ...
reported in 1983 that Perl still owned the aircraft and was flying it at that time. The PG-130 was removed from the FAA register prior to 1989 and now belongs to the
National Soaring Museum, where it was listed as "in storage" in June 2011.
Aircraft on display
*
National Soaring Museum - in storage
Specifications (PG-130)
See also
References
{{reflist
1950s United States sailplanes
Homebuilt aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1953
Mid-wing aircraft