Bonomi BS.16 Allievo Bonomi

Last updated
BS.16 Allievo Bonomi
Role Primary glider
National origin Italy
Manufacturer Aeronautica Bonomi
Designer Camillo Silva
First flight1930
Number builtmore than 60

The Bonomi BS.16 Allievo Bonomi (English: Student Bonomi) was a single seat primary glider, designed and built in Italy in 1930 and widely used by flying clubs.

Contents

Design and development

Despite its seemingly late type number, the BS.16 was one of the first aircraft designed by Camillo Silva after joining the company set up by Vittorio Bonomi in about 1930. Like many primary gliders of the period, its design was strongly influenced by the popular German Zögling. [1] The two types differed chiefly in the detail of their open frame fuselages, the wing and fuselage bracing and the aileron area, though comparisons are not straightforward as there were many Zögling variants, all different in detail. [2] [3]

The BS.16's wings were, like the Zögling's, rectangular in plan apart from clipped aileron tips and mounted without dihedral. The two separate wings were built around two spars, one close to the leading edge with plywood covering forward from it around the edge forming a torsion-resistant D-box. Behind it the wing was fabric covered. [2] One difference from a typical (Segelflugzeubau Kassel) Zögling was that the BS.16's ailerons were increased in length from 40% to nearly 60% of the span. The wings were braced with a pair of struts which ran separately from the lower fuselage frame, slightly diverging, to the wing spars. These removed the need for many of the wing bracing wires and for the triangular pylon of the Zögling to which they were attached. [2] [3]

The forward fuselage frame consisted of two, parallel horizontal members, one above the other. They were connected by a vertical pair of members and two diagonal ones, attached at two points on the lower frame and three on the upper. The rear vertical member was lighter than the forward three uprights, which formed a distorted N; together with the parallel horizontals, this core frame formed a cross braced trapezium. The forward vertical supported the wing at its front spar and the two diagonals met on the rear one. The lower frame extended forwards, with the pilot's seat projecting either side of it immediately ahead of the forward vertical frame. Underneath it, a curved skid was mounted and faired in, forming a long, deep, narrow box, reaching aft to the rear vertical frame. From the trailing edge rearwards the upper frame member was split into two, running parallel to each other and cross braced in the horizontal plane. This provided extra stiffness against sideways flexing and further reduced the wire bracing. Aft of the second vertical member the lower frame sloped upwards, meeting the upper member at the tail. Here, the triangular tailplane was mounted on the upper frame with a trapezoidal fin below. Parallel chord elevators projected behind with a cut-out for the movement of the tall rudder, which was hinged on the extreme frame and was rectangular apart from a cropped under edge. The BS.16 sat with its tail well clear of the ground, so no tail bumper was required, though there was a short aft horizontal extension of the main skid. [2]

Operational history

The Allievo Bonomi was well received by Italian gliding clubs, who used it to take novice pilots to their A certificate. More than sixty were sold. [2]

Specifications

Data from Pedrielli (2011) p.95 [2]

General characteristics

Performance

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ciani Urendo</span> Type of aircraft

The Ciani EC 38/56 Urendo, or SSVV EC 38/56 Urendo is an Italian tandem-seat training glider from the 1950s. Four were built, one winning the Italian National Championships in 1959. Another, restored, still flies.

The Bonomi BS.2 Balestruccio was an Italian sailplane designed to set records. In 1932 it set a new national endurance record with a flight of over 25 minutes.

The Bonomi BS.4 Basettino was a primary glider designed and built in Italy in the 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonomi BS.7 Allievo Italia</span> Type of aircraft

The Bonomi BS.7 Allievo Italia was a single seat, primary glider designed and built in Italy in the 1920s.

The Bonomi BS.8 Biancone was a single-seat training glider designed and built in Italy in the 1930s. It was developed from the Bonomi BS.7 Allievo Italia primary glider.

The Bonomi BS.10 Ardea was an Italian single seat high performance glider, designed and built in the mid-1930s. Only one was built.

The Bonomi BS.11 Milano and BS.12 Roma were primary gliders designed and built in Italy in the 1930s. Only about six were produced.

The Bonomi BS.14 Astore was a two-seat training and aerobatic glider, designed and built in Italy in 1935. Only one was constructed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonomi BS.17 Allievo Cantù</span> Type of aircraft

The Bonomi BS.17 Allievo Cantù was a single seat training glider, designed and built in Italy in 1934 and widely used by flying clubs.

The Bonomi BS.18 Airone was a single seat training glider, designed in Italy in 1936. Only one was built.

The Bonomi BS.19 Alca was a single seat, tractor configuration motor glider, designed and built in Italy shortly before World War II. It had an unusual retractable undercarriage used only for take-offs. Only one was built.

The Bonomi BS.20 Albanella was a performance sailplane designed and built in Italy in the late-1930s. Rather little is known about it; either one or two were constructed.

The Bonomi BS.24 Biposto Rome was an Italian dual control trainer designed for club use. Six were built in the mid-1930s.

The Bonomi BS.28 Alcione, sometimes known as the Lombarda BS.28 Alcione, was a single seat competition sailplane designed and built in Italy in 1937-8. About four were completed, with two more or less refined fuselages.

The CAT 15 was a single-seat primary glider built in Italy just before the Second World War. Only one was constructed.

The Teichfuss Grifo was an Italian training glider designed by Luigi Teichfuss and flown in 1934. It was built in small numbers.

The Teichfuss Cicogna was an Italian tailless single-seat motor glider designed by Luigi Teichfuss and flown in 1936.

The Teichfuss Astore was an Italian Intermediate single-seat trainer glider designed by Luigi Teichfuss and flown in 1936. Two were built.

The Teichfuss Allievo Pavullo was an Italian single seat open frame primary glider, designed by Luigi Teichfuss of Pavullo and first flown in 1940. It was sold in two versions, strut and cable braced. A single two seat variant was also built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacobs Hols der Teufel</span> German single-seat glider, 1928

The Jacobs Hols der Teufel was a single seat trainer glider produced in complete and plan forms in Germany from 1928. It was built and used worldwide.

References

  1. ↑ Pedrielli, Vincenzo; Camastra, Francesco (2011). Italian Vintage Sailplanes. Königswinter: EQIP Werbung & Verlag GmbH. pp. 64–7. ISBN   9783980883894.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pedrielli. Italian Vintage Sailplanes. pp. 93–5.
  3. 1 2 Simons, Martin (2006). Sailplanes 1920-1945 (2nd revised ed.). Königswinter: EQIP Werbung & Verlag GmbH. p. 41. ISBN   3 9806773 4 6.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.