Aviastroitel Ltd. (Russian: ООО "Авиастроитель", in English literally Aircraft Manufacturers) is a manufacturer of sailplanes that was originally based in Penza, Russia. Since 2010, the company has been known as Glider Air Craft Ltd (Russian: ООО "ГЛАЙДЕР ЭЙРКРАФТ") and has been based in Moscow.[1][2][3][4][5]
History
The company history is rooted back to Vladimir Egorovich Fedorov's first fibreglass motor glider, the Fedorov Istra. Fedorov was born in 1937 and graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute with a PhD in aerodynamics. He later went on to work on the Buran program. The Istra was designed in 1970 and completed in 1974 as part of his sport flying with the Second Moscow Aeroclub and he and club members experimented with it for ten years.[3][4]
Fedorov's next design was the Baikal, another fibreglass motorglider first flown in 1986. It flew about 30 test flights that year but the engine installation proved problematic and the aircraft was retired.[3]
In 1989, he began work on the "Dream" glider. This was a very small and lightweight design and developed as the Mechta I, Mechta II and Russia I and II prototypes. The 12.6m (41.3ft) wing span Russia II was entered in the FAI World Class competition, announced in 1989 to pick a small, inexpensive and easy to fly glider with at least a 30:1 glide ratio for this new one-Design competition class. To support the bid, a group known as the Aircraft Cooperative Mechta was formed and three hand-made prototypes were built ('Mechta means 'dream' in Russian). The aircraft was well received at the 1993 competition and fly-off held in Oerlinghausen, Germany, but the lack of a manufacturing facility behind the design, plus political pressures meant that the "Dream" glider was awarded second place behind the winning Polish Politechnika Warszawska PW-5.[3][4][6]
Aviastroitel logo in 2006
Disappointed with the outcome of the competition, the Mechta group found consolation in the enthusiasm of Americans who attended with their Roberts Cygnet design. They had great interest in the simple Russian glider and indicated that the North American market was right for such an aircraft for solo training and Club class flying. Known as the "Russia glider' and later simply as the "Russia", production was begun under the designation Aviastroitel AC-4 Russia. One of the three prototypes was purchased at the competition and imported into the US as a Fedorov Russia and demand quickly appeared. A US distributor, Russia 12.6 was set up to demonstrate the aircraft and sign up dealers. The Russian cooperative was reformed into a production company, taking the name Aircraft Builders, or Aviastroitel in Russian. It was under the Aviastroitel banner that most of the aircraft came to North America and became well-known.[3][4][6][7][8][9][10][11]
In 1994, US distribution was transferred to Mechta Sailplanes, LLC, which imported 18 Russia gliders into the US. In response Aviastroitel created a second set of molds and started a second assembly line in Penza, giving a total production capacity of 48 AC-4s per year.[4]
In 1997 William Ayd became US distributor under the name Russia Sailplanes, Inc. to market the expanding line of Aviastroitel gliders and motor gliders and the two companies enjoyed a successful partnership.[4]
Aviastroitel continued production of AC-4 Russias and developed the AC-5M motor glider from the AC-4 and the new AC-6FAI 15 Metre Class glider. By 2002 the company had produced over 100 gliders, most of them being shipped to the US, with smaller numbers sold in Canada, Greece, Holland and New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The company even developed their AC-5M motor glider into the AC-5MPunmanned aerial vehicle.[3][4]
Then, in 2002 the Russian government adopted new standards for industrial production. The company could comply, but it made production non-profitable. The company ceased production and concentrated on a new two-seat touring motor glider model, the AC-7M, moving future manufacturing off shore. Due to the problems with the new standards the relationship between the US-based Russia Sailplanes and Aviastroitel was ended.[3][4]
Work on the AC-7M started in 2002 and it first flew in 2005. Development of this model continued through 2009. In 2010 the company was reorganised as Glider Air Craft Ltd and the AC-4, 5, 6, 7 and 7M were returned to production. Development of the AC-8 glider and motor glider was started in 2010.[3]
Aircraft
Summary of aircraft built by Aviastroitel and Glider Air Craft Ltd
A glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that is supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against its lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Most gliders do not have an engine, although motor-gliders have small engines for extending their flight when necessary by sustaining the altitude with some being powerful enough to take off by self-launch.
The Schweizer SGS 1-26 is a United States One-Design, single-seat, mid-wing glider built by Schweizer Aircraft of Elmira, New York.
The Schweizer SGM 2-37 is a two-place, side-by-side, fixed gear, low wing motor glider.
The Schweizer SGU 2-22 is an American two-seat, high-wing, strut-braced, training glider built by Schweizer Aircraft of Elmira, New York.
The Laister-Kauffmann TG-4 was a sailplane produced in the United States during the Second World War for training cargo glider pilots. It was a conventional sailplane design with a fuselage of steel tube construction and wooden wings and tail, covered all over with fabric. The pilot and instructor sat in tandem under a long canopy.
The Nelson Hummingbird PG-185B is an American, tandem two seat, mid-wing motor glider that was developed by Nelson Aircraft after discontinuing the Nelson Dragonfly.
The Applebay Zia is an American, single-seat, high-wing, twin-boom, pusher configuration motor glider that was designed by George Applebay for the 1982 Sailplane Homebuilders Association Homebuilt Sailplane Design Contest. The aircraft was intended to be offered as a factory completed aircraft or as a kit.
The Franklin PS-2 is an American, high-wing, strut-braced, single seat, glider that was designed by R. E. Franklin and produced by the Franklin Glider Corporation starting in 1930.
The Schreder Airmate HP-11 is an American mid-wing, V-tailed, single seat glider designed by Richard Schreder. Airmate was the name of Schreder's design company.
The Luenger Beta 1 was an American high-wing, single-seat, T-tailed FAI Open Class glider designed by Hans Luenger and Spud Kohler.
The Applebay GA-111 Mescalero is an American high-wing, T-tailed single-seat, FAI Open Class glider that was designed by George Applebay.
The Glasflügel 205 Club Libelle is a high wing, T-tailed, single seat glider that was designed and produced in West Germany by Glasflügel for club and rental use.
The Scheibe Zugvogel is a West German, high-wing, single-seat, FAI Open Class glider that was produced by Scheibe Flugzeugbau. The first version was designed by Rudolph Kaiser and subsequent versions by Egon Scheibe.
The Aviastroitel AC-4 Russia is a Russian mid-wing, single-seat glider designed by Vladimir Egorovich Fedorov and produced by Aircraft Cooperative Mechta, which became Aviastroitel, now Glider Air Craft.
The Radab Windex is a family of Swedish high-wing, single-seat aerobatic gliders and motor gliders that was designed by Sven Olof Ridder and produced initially by Radab and later by WindexAir AB as a kit for amateur construction.
The Roberts Cygnet is an American high-wing, cruciform tail, single-seat, glider that was designed and produced by Donald Roberts as a contender for the IGC World Class sailplane.
The Aviastroitel AC-5M is a Russian mid-wing, single-seat, T-tailed motor glider and unmanned aerial vehicle that is produced by Aviastroitel, now Glider Air Craft.
The Aviastroitel AC-6 is a Russian mid-wing, single-seat FAI 15 Metre Class glider that was designed and manufactured by Aviastroitel, now Glider Air Craft.
The Aviastroitel AC-7M is a Russian mid-wing, T-tailed, two-seats in side-by-side configuration motor glider that was designed by Vladimir Egorovich Fedorov and produced by Aviastroitel, now Glider Air Craft.
References
↑ Glider Air Craft (2010). "In Our Days". Archived from the original on 23 October 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
↑ Glider Air Craft (2010). "Locations". Archived from the original on 22 October 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
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