| PC.500 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Aerobatic glider |
| National origin | Italy |
| Designer | Flaminio Piana Canova |
| First flight | 1937 |
| Number built | 1 |
| Developed from | Piana Canova PC.100 |
The Piana Canova PC.500 single-seat glider was a development of the earlier PC.100 primary glider, more robust and capable of aerobatics. Both were designed and built in Italy in the mid-1930s and they shared an unusual thick profile wing of rhomboidal plan. Only one PC.500 was built.
The PC.500 shared the distinctive rhomboidal wing plan of the earlier PC.100. This was almost square, with a diagonal defining the span. An exactly square wing of this orientation has an aspect ratio of 2:1, very close to that of the PC.500. Lower aspect ratio wings can operate at higher angles of attack before stalling. The wings of the PC.100 and PC.500 had the same airfoil and aspect ratio; the PC.100 stalled at 35°. Piana Canova used the thick wing profile to brace the PC.500's wing internally, producing a clean, cantilever high-wing monoplane. Structurally the wing was entirely wooden and its covering fabric. [1]
The PC.500 had conventional control surfaces. Tapered ailerons were mounted on the outboard wing trailing edges and an elliptical one piece elevator was mounted on the rounded off extreme trailing edge. Its fin was broad and triangular, with the rudder hinged above the wing trailing edge. The rudder was straight edged with rounded corners and cut away at its base to allow upward elevator movement. Below the wing there was a long, shallow ventral fin which also ended at the trailing edge. [1]
The PC.500 was not a flying wing in that it had a fuselage, though this was short, with its nose only a little ahead of the leading edge and its underside curving upwards to meet the wing just aft of mid-chord. It was ovoid in section and did not extend above the upper wing surface. The open, single-seat cockpit was immediately behind the leading edge and was provided with a faired, padded headrest. Its landing gear was fixed and conventional, with its main wheels on split axles fixed to the fuselage bottom and with sloping legs to the fuselage sides. A small tailwheel was fitted to the rear end of the ventral fin. [1]
Overall, the PC.500 was designed to be robust, capable of aerobatics and suitable for launch by aero tows. In 1937 the single example went to the Guidonia Experimental Centre for testing. Test flights included high altitude work but the judging committee were not convinced by this novel glider. [1]
As well as his two gliders, both built and flown, Piana Canova designed a powered aircraft in 1935 with a rhomboidal wing. [2] Though wind tunnel tested, this may never have been built but another powered rhomboidal wing Canova design, the SIA 140 was completed.
Data from Pedrelli p.199 [1]
General characteristics
The Czerwiński Sparrow, sometimes known as the de Havilland Canada glider, was a single seat glider, designed and built by a group of de Haviiland engineers in Canada in 1942. It was intended to popularise gliding and be suitable for both basic training and thermal soaring.
The Nyborg T.G.N.1 was a single-seat experimental sailplane built in the early 1930s, its unusual wing design a scaled-up version of the wings of large birds.
The CVV 2 Asiago is a simple, single seat glider designed and built in Italy in the mid-1930s, the second of a series of gliders from the Milan Polytechnic and the first go into production.
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 Bonomi BS.14 Astore was a two-seat training and aerobatic glider, designed and built in Italy in 1935. Only one was constructed.
The Piana Canova PC.100 was a primary glider designed and built in Italy in the 1930s. It had many of the characteristics of these simple aircraft but differed greatly in using a wing of rhomboidal plan. Only one was built.
The Bazzocchi EB.2 was a one off, Italian single seat glider designed and built by a university student in 1936, his second design of the year.
The RRG Fafnir, named after the legendary dragon, was a single seat German high performance glider designed by Alexander Lippisch. It won the Rhön competition in 1931 and made several outstanding flights as well as setting a fashion for gull wings.
The Hirth Hi 21 was a multi-purpose two seat side-by-side configuration training glider, designed and built in Germany during World War II. It had a retractable undercarriage and wings of variable sweep to accommodate centre of gravity changes. Only one was completed but was heavily used immediately after the end of the war.
The IIL IS-8 was a two-seat sailplane designed by Iosif Șilimon and built in Romania in 1960. They served with Romanian gliding clubs.
The IIL IS-9 was a low powered, experimental pod and boom style motor glider, designed and built in Romania in the late 1950s.
The IFIL-Reghin RG-4 Pionier or CIL Reghin RG-4 Pionier was a Romanian single seat primary glider built in the 1950s. Fifty were produced.
The ICA IAR-35 is a Romanian glider designed and built in the 1980s primarily for aerobatics, though capable of general purpose use. Several production prototypes were constructed.
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.
The Schneider ES-54 Gnome was an experimental low cost glider with a laminar flow but low aspect ratio wing, built in Australia in the mid-1950s. Its performance was predictably poor and only one was completed.
The Delanne 60-E.1 was a training sailplane, designed to enable pilots to graduate from their C certificate to the more demanding D. It was also capable of aerobatics. Only one was built but it was used from 1938 to the outbreak of war.
The Rubik R-03 Szittya I was a Hungarian single-seat sailplane flown in the late 1930s. The design was developed through three improving variants. though only one of each was built.
The Rubik R-17 Móka (Joy) was a Hungarian aerobatic glider designed in the late 1930s. One prototype was built and first flown in 1944 but was destroyed near the end of World War II. Two more, with modified ailerons and a new fuselage, were built in 1950 but were abandoned after a fatal accident.
The Rubik R-31 Dupla (Double) was a Hungarian side-by-side seat training glider first flown in 1983. Disappointing performance and vibration problems prevented it going into production.
The PZL M-3 Pliszka (Wagtail) was the first all-metal Polish glider. Three were built but its performance, particularly its glide ratio, was not good enough for it to be produced for Polish clubs.
