Croses Pouplume
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| Pouplume | |
|---|---|
| Type | Ultralight |
| Manufacturer | homebuilt |
| Designed by | Emilien Croses |
| Maiden flight | 1960 |
The Croses Pouplume ("lousefeather") was an unusual ultralight aircraft developed in France in the 1960s. Inspired by Henri Mignet's Pou-du-Ciel design with its distinctive tandem wing layout, Croses set out to develop a similar aircraft to be powered by a single-cylinder motorcycle engine of around 6 kW (8 hp). The resulting machine, designated the EC-1 weighed only 108 kg (238 lb) empty, and flew around 1960. Like the Pou-du-Ciel, the Pouplume dispensed with traditional ailerons and elevators and pivoted the entire forward wing to provide pitch control.
The EC-1 was followed by the EC-2, a two-seat version powered by a conventional aero-engine, and the EC-3, the definitive version marketed for homebuilding, again powered by a motorcycle engine. At least twelve examples of the latter had flown by 1977. A further development, the Pouplume Sport was intended to be powered by a 1500 cc Volkswagen air-cooled engine, and featured wings of reduced span. About 55 of this version were known to be under construction in 1977.
[edit] Specifications (typical EC-3)
General characteristics
- Crew: One pilot
- Length: 4.70 m (15 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)
- Height: 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
- Wing area: 16.0 m² (172 ft²)
- Empty weight: 110 kg (243 lb)
- Gross weight: 220 kg (485 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Monet-Goyon motorcycle engine, 6 kW (8 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 70 km/h (44 mph)
[edit] References
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 272.
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1977-78. London: Jane's Jearbooks, 486.
- "Croses Pouplume: Monomoteur ultra-léger" (15 February 1962). Aviation Magazine (341): 49.
[edit] See also
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