Fernic T-9

Last updated
T-9
Role Distance record setting light aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Fernic Aircraft Corporation
Designer George Fernic, Paul Dronin
First flight10 September 1929

The Fernic T-9, also called the Fernic F.T.9, (Fernic Tandem model 9) is an early three-surface aircraft, having two lifting wings in tandem as well as a conventional tailplane. It was a light twin-engined craft intended for flight distance record setting.

Contents

Design and development

Fernic-FT-9 tandem monoplane built by Gheorghe Fernic Fernic-FT-9.jpg
Fernic-FT-9 tandem monoplane built by Gheorghe Fernic


Designer George Fernic was a Romanian aviator who developed the T-9 after emigrating to the United States from Germany. [1]

The Fernic T-9 can be seen as a conventional twin-engined monoplane with the addition of a 22-foot-long (6.7 m) nose-mounted canard foreplane to provide two lifting surfaces in tandem. The canard was designed to stall ahead of the main wing, reducing the risk of stalling or spinning the entire aircraft. The plywood covered aircraft also featured tricycle landing gear with a castering nose wheel. A spring steel tail skid was added to protect the tail. [2]

Fernic tested the design with professor Alexander Klemin in the wind tunnels of the Guggenheim School of Aeronautics, New York University in 1926. [3] For the transatlantic effort, the upper engine nacelles were able to be removed and powered with a small outboard motor for water ditching. [4]

Operational history

The T-9 was first flown at Roosevelt Field in New York on 10 September 1929. The landing gear and wings were damaged on its second day of test flying. [5] A record flight from the United States to Bucharest, Romania was planned with the prototype. Fernic did not complete the flight due to a fatal accident he suffered while landing his later three-surface design, the Fernic FT-10 Cruisaire in 1930. [2]

Specifications (Fernic T-9)

Data from Skyways #55 [2]

General characteristics

Performance

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sukhoi Su-47</span> Experimental fighter aircraft

The Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut, also designated S-32 and S-37 during initial development, was a Russian experimental supersonic jet fighter developed by the JSC Sukhoi Company. A distinguishing feature of the aircraft was its forward-swept wing which gave the aircraft excellent agility and maneuverability. While serial production of the type never materialized and the configuration was not further pursued, the sole aircraft produced served as a technology demonstrator prototype for a number of advanced technologies later used in the 4.5 generation fighter Su-35 and current fifth-generation jet fighter Su-57.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rutan Quickie</span> Light aircraft designed by Burt Rutan

The Rutan Quickie is a lightweight single-seat taildragger aircraft of composite construction, configured with tandem wings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berkut 360</span> Type of aircraft

The Berkut 360 is a tandem-seating, two-seat homebuilt canard aircraft with pusher configuration and retractable landing gear, built primarily of carbon fiber and fiberglass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messerschmitt P.1101</span> German fighter prototype

The Messerschmitt P.1101 was a single-seat, single-jet fighter project of World War II, developed as part of the 15 July 1944 Emergency Fighter Program which sought a second generation of jet fighters for the Third Reich. A prominent feature of the P.1101 prototype was that the sweep angle of the wings could be changed before flight, a feature further developed in later variable-sweep aircraft such as the Bell X-5 and Grumman XF10F Jaguar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing L-15 Scout</span> Type of aircraft

The Boeing L-15 Scout or YL-15 was a small, piston engine liaison aircraft built by Boeing in very small numbers after World War II. It was a short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft powered by a 125 hp Lycoming engine. The L-15 was an attempt by Boeing to expand its product line as World War II drew to a close, and Boeing's production of combat aircraft declined. Boeing decided against marketing the L-15 as a general aviation aircraft, and the twelve that were produced went to the United States Army for testing, then were transferred to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska for various duties.

The Fisher Horizon is a family of Canadian two-seats-in-tandem, conventional landing gear, single-engined, high-wing monoplane kit aircraft designed for construction by amateur builders. The Horizon 1 was inspired by the Aeronca Champion and its later version, the Bellanca Citabria, while the Horizon 2 was inspired by the Cessna O-1 Bird Dog.

The Capella Javelin is a family of American open cockpit, high wing, tractor configuration, conventional landing gear-equipped ultralight aircraft that were produced in kit form by Capella Aircraft of Austin, Texas and intended for amateur construction.

The Kolb Slingshot is an American tandem two seat, high wing, strut-braced, pusher configuration, conventional landing gear-equipped ultralight aircraft, that was produced in kit form by New Kolb Aircraft of London, Kentucky and intended for amateur construction.

The Kolb Kolbra and King Kolbra are a family of American tandem two seater, high wing, strut-braced, pusher configuration, conventional landing gear-equipped ultralight aircraft that are produced in kit form by New Kolb Aircraft of London, Kentucky and intended for amateur construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joplin Tundra</span> CzechCanadian ultralight aircraft

The Joplin Tundra is a family of Canadian, high-wing, strut-braced, pusher configuration ultralight aircraft that was originally produced by Back Forty Developments of Campbellford, Ontario, Canada and later by Joplin Light Aircraft of Joplin, Missouri and Laron Aviation of Borger, Texas for amateur construction. The aircraft is out of production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falconar Golden Hawk</span> Canadian homebuilt light aircraft

The Falconar Golden Hawk is a Canadian tandem seat, pusher configuration, tricycle gear, canard-equipped ultralight aircraft that is offered in kit form by Falconar Avia of Edmonton, Alberta.

The Airborne Avenger is an American ultralight aircraft that was designed and produced by Airborne Wing Design in the early 1980s. The aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aeromarine AM-1</span> Type of aircraft

The Aeromarine AM-1 was a biplane built to pursue a US Air Mail Service requirement for a nighttime transport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosmos Phase II</span> French ultralight trike

The Cosmos Phase II and Phase III are a series of French two-seat flying wing ultralight trikes that were produced by Cosmos ULM of Fontaine-lès-Dijon and now by Cosmos Ultralight of Puente de Ixtla, Mexico. The aircraft are supplied as factory completed aircraft and are not available as kits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three-surface aircraft</span> Fixed-wing aircraft with a main central wing plus fore and aft surfaces

A three-surface aircraft or sometimes three-lifting-surface aircraft has a foreplane, a central wing and a tailplane. The central wing surface always provides lift and is usually the largest, while the functions of the fore and aft planes may vary between types and may include lift, control and/or stability.

The AeroCad AeroCanard is a family of American amateur-built aircraft, designed and produced by AeroCad of Florissant, Missouri. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.

The AM-69 Georges Payre, also known as the Arts & Métiers AM-69 and the ENAM-69/70, was a conventionally laid out low wing monoplane designed and built by French students in the early 1970s. It was intended as a trainer, seating two in tandem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">QAC Quickie Q2</span> American homebuilt aircraft design

The Quickie Q2 or Q2 is a two-seat version of the unique Rutan Quickie, produced in kit form by the Quickie Aircraft Corporation founded by Tom Jewett and Gene Sheehan. Canadian Garry LeGare was involved in the design.

The Wild DoubleEnder is an American twin engine utility aircraft designed for bush flying. It was designed to be the ultimate platform for flying in a remote environment, where safety, performance, and visibility are all extremely crucial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SET 2</span> Romanian bomber/reconnaissance aircraft prototype

The SET 2 or Proto-SET 2 was a 1920s Romanian prototype reconnaissance and day-bomber aircraft.

References

  1. "George Fernic" . Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 Skyways #55. July 2000.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. "Fernic" . Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  4. Popular Aviation: 48. August 1930.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. "FERNIC PLANE IN CRASH.; Tandem-Winged Craft Is Damaged Landing on Test Flight". New York Times. 12 September 1929.