The Ross R-6 is a
tandem
Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which a team of machines, animals or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction.
The original use of the term in English was in ''tandem harness'', which is used for two ...
two-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 conf ...
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 gliding
...
that was designed by
Harland Ross and first flown in 1956.
Design and development
Ross designed the R-6 as a two-seat sailplane with the intention of setting new multi-place records with it. The aircraft was initially designed to use the same span wing as the highly successful
Ross-Johnson RJ-5, but with a gross weight of as opposed to the RJ-5's this gave the R-6 one of the highest
wing loading
In aerodynamics, wing loading is the total mass of an aircraft or flying animal divided by the area of its wing. The stalling speed of an aircraft in straight, level flight is partly determined by its wing loading. An aircraft or animal with a ...
s for a glider of its day.
The R-6 was constructed with a metal
fuselage
The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...
, which was a departure from Ross's earlier designs. The passenger seat is behind the pilot's seat, aft of the wing
spar
SPAR, originally DESPAR, styled as DE SPAR, is a Dutch multinational that provides branding, supplies and support services for independently owned and operated food retail stores. It was founded in the Netherlands in 1932, by Adriaan van Well, ...
and has no windows, visibility is provided by a removable plastic overhead dome. The wing features
dive brake
Dive brakes or dive flaps are deployed to slow down an aircraft when in a dive. They often consist of a metal flap that is lowered against the air flow, thus creating drag and reducing dive speed.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, ...
s. The wingspan was later increased to , lowering the wing loading somewhat, but increasing the high
aspect ratio to 28:1. Originally taking off from a dolly and landing on a fixed skid, the R-6 later had a retractable monowheel landing gear installed.
Operational history
In one four-day period in 1958 Ross flew the R-6 to set four records. He set new World Record marks for the multi-place glider category in , and speed triangles and also set a US National Record for out-and-return distance of . Two of the three World Records exceeded the standing single-place record at the time.
In 1959, Ross flew the R-6 solo from
Kent, Texas
Kent is an unincorporated community in Culberson County, Texas, United States. It lies just north of Interstate 10 at exit 176, west of the beginning of Interstate 20 and west of the Jeff Davis County line. It is sandwiched between the railro ...
to
Farley, New Mexico for his diamond distance and won the
Barringer Trophy
The R-6 was later owned by Bob Storck of
Waldorf, Maryland
Waldorf is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Charles County, Maryland, United States. Located south-southeast of Washington, D.C., Waldorf is part of the Southern Maryland region. It is an urban area, with a popul ...
who loaned it to the
National Soaring Museum
The National Soaring Museum (NSM) is an aviation museum whose stated aim is to preserve the history of motorless flight. It is located on top of Harris Hill near Elmira, New York, United States.
The NSM is the Soaring Society of America's officia ...
, where it is currently listed as in storage.
Aircraft on display
*
National Soaring Museum
The National Soaring Museum (NSM) is an aviation museum whose stated aim is to preserve the history of motorless flight. It is located on top of Harris Hill near Elmira, New York, United States.
The NSM is the Soaring Society of America's officia ...
- the sole example.
Specifications (R-6 2-seater / single-seater)
See also
References
{{Harland Ross aircraft designs
1950s United States sailplanes
Harland Ross aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1956