Birdman TL-1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| TL-1 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Recreational ultralight |
| Manufacturer | Birdman Aircraft for homebuilding |
| Designed by | Emmett M. Talley |
| Number built | 300 kits sold by 1979 |
The Birdman TL-1 was an extremely minimalist aircraft marketed in kit form in the United States in the mid 1970s. Its fuselage was nothing more than a boom connecting a set of wings with a V-tail. The pilot's seat and a pedestal carrying the pusher engine were attached to the top of the boom just forward of the wing. Flight control was provided by a series of spoilers. Construction was of wood covered with Monokote, and the aircraft was designed to be quickly dismantled for transport or storage. With an empty weight of 122 lb (55 kg), it was held to be the lightest aircraft to have ever flown at the time.
[edit] Specifications (TL-1)
General characteristics
- Crew: one pilot
- Length: 19 ft 5 in (5.92 m)
- Wingspan: 34 ft 0 in (10.37 m)
- Height: 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)
- Wing area: 145 ft² (13.5 m²)
- Empty weight: 122 lb (55 kg)
- Gross weight: 350 lb (159 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × McCulloch MC101 one-cylinder two-cycle piston engine, 15 hp (11 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 55 mph (89 km/h)
- Range: 200 miles (322 km)
- Service ceiling: 5,500 ft (1,680 m)
- Rate of climb: 200 ft/min (1.0 m/s)
[edit] References
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 155.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1977). Jane's Pocket Book 14: Home-Built Aircraft. London: Macdonald.
- Trade a Plane November 1975
- Sports Flying December 1975
[edit] See also
Comparable aircraft Aerosport Rail
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