| Z-1 Glider Boat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Glider |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Peel Glider Boat Company |
| Introduction | circa 1930 |
| Status | Production completed |
| Number built | 30 |
The Peel Z-1 Glider Boat, also called the Peel Flying Boat, is an American biplane, two-seats-in-tandem, flying boat glider that was designed and produced by the Peel Glider Boat Company, starting in about 1930. [1] [2] [3] [4]
The Glider Boat was intended as a strictly recreational aircraft, to be towed from the water surface by a powered boat. The company intended to produce a very inexpensive aircraft to cash in on the sudden popularity of aviation following Charles Lindbergh’s 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. [1] [3]
The aircraft is of mixed construction. The 31 ft (9.4 m) span wing has a wooden spar, steel ribs and is covered in doped aircraft fabric covering. The two wings have a large total area of 270 sq ft (25 m2) and combined with the light gross weight of 600 lb (270 kg) give a very light wing loading of just 2.2 lb/sq ft (11 kg/m2). The lower wing tips feature wingtip floats. The hull is made from duralumin and features a stepped shape, similar to most powered flying boats. The aircraft has conventional aircraft controls and was delivered without instruments. [1]
The aircraft was normally launched by a tow rope attached to the glider by a Y-shaped bridle, with release hooks on both sides of the front cockpit. Climbing to a maximum height of 1,000 ft (305 m) as limited by the supplied tow rope, the glider would then release and glide to a landing on the water surface. [1] [3]
The aircraft was placed in quantity production and sold for US$595 each. Thirty were built before the company went out of business in the Great Depression. [1] [3] [4]
In August 2011 there were no Peel Glider Boats left on the US Federal Aviation Administration aircraft registry. [5]
Data from Sailplane Directory and AirVenture Museum [1] [6]
General characteristics
Performance
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