Heath Parasol

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Heath Parasol

This Parasol, photographed in 1935, was built by Methodist missionary Harold Shepherdson on Elcho Island in the remote Arnham Land region of northern Australia. It was built from an imported kit and fitted with DH60 main wheels and a a 34 hp Bristol Cherub, two-cylinder engine. The Reverend Shepherdson completed a number of ground runs in his Parasol before hitting a tree stump and severely damaging the aircraft. It's remains are now in the collection of the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre in Darwin.
Type amateur-built airplane
Manufacturer Heath
Designed by Ed Heath
Maiden flight 1926
Introduction Parasol (1926); 1927 (Super Parasol); 1930 (V Parasol; 1931 (LN Parasol)
Primary users Recreational flyers
*
Produced Still in limited production
Unit cost $US975 fly away price for a Super Parasol in the late 1930s.
Variants LNB-4 Various models LNA-4Various modelsV Parasol

The Heath Parasol is an American single-place, open cockpit, ultralight monoplane. During the late 1920s and early 1930s it was the only airplane that could be constructed at home from a factory-built kit and be licensed by the FAA. The Heath was extremely popular, being economical to build and operate, and easy to fly.

Modern Mechanix magazine published plans and subsequently, Heath sold nearly 1,000 kits on an installment basis. Fewer than 50 were factory built, but several hundred were completed and flown by homebuilders during the depression.

Heath is remembered today for having helped pioneered the homebuilt aircraft industry and, for having introduced the kit concept for packaging of materials needed to build an aircraft.






Contents

[edit] Design

A modified Heath Parasol built and flown in 1934 by Bob Brown and Steve Nielson (right) at Home Hill in North Queensland
A modified Heath Parasol built and flown in 1934 by Bob Brown and Steve Nielson (right) at Home Hill in North Queensland

.

The fuselage is built of welded steel tube and is fabric covered. The wings consist of two solid spruce spars, built up wooden ribs, compression struts and internal bracing.

The empennage is built of wood, the tailplane being externally braced. Two five gallon fuel tanks are installed at the root end of each wing, the fuel being gravity fed. The only tools necessary to assemble one of the Parasol kits were a pair of small pliers, screwdriver, hacksaw (with plenty of blades), hammer, small hand drill, chisel, center punch, file and drill.





[edit] Powerplants

A variety of powerplants could be fitted, including the factory supplied converted Henderson Motorcycle engine (viz. 25 hp Heath-Henderson B-4).

[edit] Construction

Building a Heath Parasol requires basic woodworking skills and tools. Builders also need to fabricate some metal fittings to attach the wooden parts together. Some welding is required. The plans for the Parasol were also originally published in the "Flying and Glider" Manual.

It was not generally known that production of an early version was undertaken as early as 1931, in Australia, by the Adcock-Heath Company.


[edit] Super Parasol Specifications

Data from[citation needed]

General characteristics

  • Crew: One pilot
  • Length: 16 ft 9 in (5.1 m)
  • Wingspan: 25 ft 0 in (7.62 m)
  • Height: 5 ft 8.25 in (1.73 m)
  • Wing area: 135 ft² (12.5 m²)
  • Empty weight: 260 lb (117.9 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 560 lb (253.9 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1× Heath-Henderson B-4 (25 hp), 25 hp ()

Performance


[edit] See also

Related lists

[edit] Video links

Robert Padget's Parasol on Facebook

[edit] References

  • 1929 Flying and Glider Manual
  • Sport Flying Quarterly, Vol.9 No.7, 1975, pp 54-63.

[edit] External links

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