The Schultz Nucleon is an American
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 confi ...
strut-braced
In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of strut, which act in ...
, 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
Arthur B. Schultz.
[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 63, Soaring Society of America November 1983. USPS 499-920
Design and development
The Nucleon was built by Schultz in 1954 and even though the wing was strut-braced the aircraft introduced some innovative construction techniques. The wing was carved from
Styrofoam around its
spar and then covered in
fiberglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cloth ...
for a skin. The wing uses a
NACA 65-415
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.
...
, has full-span
flaps and drooping
aileron
An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement around ...
s, and is braced with a single
faired strut. The strut-braced
tailplane
A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabiliser, is a small lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplane ...
folds so that the aircraft can be loaded for ground transportation on a trailer.
Only one Nucleon was built and it is registered in the ''
Experimental - amateur-built'' category.
Operational history
The aircraft was flown in the 1956 US Nationals and completed several cross country flights.
In June 2011, 57 years after the aircraft was built, it was still on the US
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
registry, listed as being subject to a sale.
Specifications (Nucleon)
See also
References
External links
The Nucleon on the cover of Soaring magazine, Jan/Feb 1953{{Art Schultz aircraft
1950s United States sailplanes
Homebuilt aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1954