Rensselaer RP-1
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The Rensselaer RP-1 (for Rensselaer Polytechnic design 1) is an American
low-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 confi ...
, single-seat, foot-launchable
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 produced by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of
Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany ...
. It first flew in 1980.


Design and development

The RP-1 was partly funded by
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...
and was the first aircraft in Rensselaer's Composite Aircraft Program. The aircraft is of mixed construction, made from composites,
Kevlar Kevlar (para-aramid) is a strong, heat-resistant synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed by Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont in 1965, the high-strength material was first used commercially in the early 1970s a ...
and PVC foam. Its span wing employs a Wortmann FX-63-137 airfoil. The aircraft weighs just and was intended to be foot-launched. The
landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
consists of a main skid and dual tail skids. The aircraft achieved a 20:1
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 ...
. Only one was completed.


Specifications (RP-1)


See also


References

{{Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute aircraft 1980s United States sailplanes Sailplanes designed for foot-launching Aircraft first flown in 1980 Low-wing aircraft