| EPB-1 Flying Plank | |
|---|---|
 | |
| WPB-1 Flying Plank II at the Airpower Museum | |
| Role | Glider |
| National origin | United States |
| Designer | Al Backstrom |
| Introduction | 1954 |
| Status | Plans still available |
| Number built | 16 |
The Backstrom EPB-1 Flying Plank is an American mid-wing, single seat, tailless glider that was designed by Al Backstrom, with assistance from Phil Easley and Jack Powell in 1954 and made available as plans for amateur construction. [1] [2]
The Flying Plank was intended to be an aircraft that could be built at home, that would be of minimum size and yet still provide reasonable soaring performance. The prototype Plank featured tip rudders and was used for drag-reduction tests conducted at Mississippi State University before it was retired. The EPB-1 designation indicates the design team's last names. [1] [2]
The EPB-1 is constructed with a wooden structure, with doped aircraft fabric covering. The landing gear is a monowheel, with a nose skid. [1] [2]
The "A" model was described in the plans sold and retained the twin tip rudders of the EPB-1, although some were built with a single fin and rudder assembly attached to the cockpit rear. At least one two-place side-by-side seating version was built in Australia, and another as a motor glider. The standard wingspan is 25 ft (7.6 m), but versions have been built with spans up to 30.5 ft (9.3 m). [1] [2]
In March 2011 two EPB-1s were still registered in the USA, including the one in the National Soaring Museum. [3]
Data from Sailplane Directory and Soaring [1] [2]
General characteristics
Performance
The Briegleb BG-12 is a single-seat sailplane of wooden construction developed in the United States in the 1950s. It was marketed for homebuilding in plans or kit form, with over 350 sets of plans selling by 1978. The BG-12 is a conventional sailplane design, with a high cantilever wing and a conventional empennage. Later models featured a highly revised fuselage, a swept-forward tail fin, and an all flying tailplane with balance tabs.
The Schweizer SGS 1-34 is a United States Standard Class, single-seat, high-wing glider built by Schweizer Aircraft of Elmira, New York.
The Slingsby Type 26 Kite 2 was a post World War II development of the Slingsby Kite, a single seat medium performance sailplane. It sold in small numbers.
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 Pacific D-8 is an American, single-seat, high-wing glider, that was designed by Ken Coward and made available as plans for amateur construction.
The Scanlan SG-1A is an American, single seat, pod-and-boom, high-wing, strut-braced glider that was designed by Thomas W. Scanlan in 1970 and sold in the form of plans for amateur construction.
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 FFA Diamant is a family of Swiss high-wing, T-tailed, single-seat, FAI Standard Class and FAI Open Class gliders that was designed by engineering students under supervision of Professor Rauscher at the ETH Zurich and manufactured by Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein AG (FFA) of Altenrhein, Switzerland.
The Prue 215 is an American high-wing, V-tailed, single-seat glider that was designed by Irving Prue in 1949.
The Strojnik S-2 is an American high-wing, single-seat motor glider that was designed and built by Aleš Strojnik.
The Haufe HA-G-1 Buggie is an American high-wing, strut-braced, single-seat, glider that was designed and constructed by Bruno Haufe and Klaus Hill, first flying in 1967.
The Lamson PL-1 Quark was an American high-wing, single-seat, glider that was designed and constructed by Philip Lamson, first flying in early 1965.
The Marske XM-1 was an American mid-wing, single-seat, experimental tailless glider that was designed and built by Jim Marske in 1957.
The Farrar V-1 Flying Wing is an American, single-seat, flying wing glider that was designed and constructed by Demetrius F. Farrar Jr. in 1962.
The CVV 3 Arcore was a single seat competition glider designed and built in Italy in the late 1930s, a development of the CVV 1 Pinguino. It participated in several national gliding competitions in the short period before the outbreak of World War II.
The CVV 5 Papero was a single seat competition glider designed and built in Italy in the late 1930s, a development of the CVV 4 Pellicano.
The CVV 8 Bonaventura was a two-seat competition glider designed and built in Italy during the 1950s. Fifteen were produced.
The DFS Rhönsperber, otherwise known as the Schweyer Rhönsperber or Jacobs Rhönsperber was a single seat competition glider designed in Germany by Hans Jacobs and first flown in 1935. For several years it was regarded as the best German sailplane and about one hundred were built.
The Schleicher Rhönadler, DFS Rhönadler or Jacobs Rhönadler is a high performance, single seat competition sailplane built in Germany in the 1930s. More than 65 were built.
The RRG Professor was a very early soaring glider and the first to use a variometer for finding thermals. It was designed by Alexander Lippisch in Germany, first flying in 1928. The Professor was widely built by both flying clubs and factories.
