The Prue UHP-1 is an American
high-wing, single-seat,
T-tailed
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 by
Irving Prue Irving may refer to:
People
* Irving (name), including a list of people with the name
Fictional characters
* Irving, the main character's love interest in Cathy (comic strip)
* Lloyd Irving, the main protagonist in the ''Tales of Symphonia'' vide ...
.
[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 57, Soaring Society of America November 1983. USPS 499-920
Design and development
The prototype Prue UHP-1 was constructed by Prue, completed in 1966 and first flown in 1967.
The prototype features a
NACA 63-618, with an all-metal wing with 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 ...
aft of the wing
spar. This arrangement did not hold the correct airfoil shape at high speeds according to tests conducted. The
fuselage is also of all-metal construction and features a fixed monowheel
landing gear, coupled with a skid, a conventional T-tail and a
drag chute. Aside from the drag chute, glide path control is via
spoilers.
Two Prue UHP-1s were built, the second incorporating many changes to the design. Both aircraft were registered as ''
Experimental - Amateur-builts''.
Operational history
The second UHP-1 built was reported by the owner as having good handling characteristics and a lower minimum sink speed than a
Schleicher ASW 17
The Schleicher ASW 17 is a single-seat Glider competition classes#Open Class, Open Class Glider (sailplane), sailplane that was built by the German manufacturer Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co and first flew in 1971. It replaced the Schleicher A ...
.
As of June 2011 both aircraft are still registered with the
Federal Aviation Administration.
Variants
;UHP-1
:Initial prototype with fixed landing gear.
;UHP-1 Modified
:The second aircraft, built in 1974, which incorporates an all-metal wing to address the fabric issues on the first aircraft. It also has retractable monowheel landing gear, the nose and
canopy from a
Schempp-Hirth Open Cirrus,
flaps, water ballast and a fully trimmable
tailplane. The aircraft is officially registered with the FAA as a ''UHP-1 MODIFIED'' and has an empty weight that is more than heavier than the prototype.
Specifications (UHP-1 Modified)
See also
References
{{Irving Prue aircraft
1960s United States sailplanes
Homebuilt aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1967
T-tail aircraft