Ryan XV-8
The Ryan Flex Wing ( designation: Model 164 ) was an experimental aircraft of the U.S. manufacturer Ryan Aeronautical Company from the early 1960s, which was based on the principle of the Rogallo wing. A slightly modified version was in the U.S. Air Force, the name Ryan XV -8 Fleep where " Fleep " for " Flying Jeep " was.
History
The development was carried out at the Aerospace Division of Ryan in San Diego on the basis of a mandate from the U.S. Army, after a simple, easy and very cheap transport unit for supplying the front line troops to be developed. The flight test was conducted in Otay Mesa ( California).
Then Ryan received another order from NASA for the development of Flex -Wing landing aids, which should allow for safe return of the Saturn booster after burnout and separation of the space capsule. The development was in mid 1964 canceled because the boosters were still considered a loss devices and to return the space capsule round canopy parachutes were used.
Construction
The main feature of Flex Wing was a foldable tubular steel frame, the spread took the form of a delta. The material used a nylon membrane was used for high-speed flights, the use of fine mesh wire cloth was recommended. In a span of 12 m, the full-blown aerodynamic surface area was 51.55 m. The three steel tubes of the framework formed the keel, and one each outer tube and were each 8.54 m long.
In order to perform a manned testing, a platform was hung that served as the cockpit and the engine and four-wheel landing gear was wearing. In this form, the device already corresponded to the basic requirements of the Army contract. The control was carried out on the pipe rack joint between wing and platform by shifting the center of gravity of the platform relative to the wing keel. The engine of the prototype was a 100 -hp Continental, which drove a pusher propeller, the air flow acted on an undamped rudder. For transport, the device was completely foldable and could be tucked into a narrow container which was not longer than the keel.
A second copy was modified and designated by the U.S. Army as the XV -8A Fleep. Externally, this version differed by the V-tail from the original design.