| R-1 Gheppio | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Single seat glider |
| National origin | Italy |
| Designer | Gianfranco Rotondi |
| Status | Sole example destroyed |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 1952 |
The Rotondi R-1 Gheppio (English: Kestrel ) was a lightweight, single seat Italian glider. It featured a relatively short wingspan (ten meters). One example was built in the early 1950s.
The Ghoppia was a cantilever mid-wing monoplane. Its straight tapered wing was built in one piece for lightness around a single spar and had marked dihedral. The outer half of the wing's trailing edge carried ailerons mounted on a false spar; trailing edge airbrakes occupied the inner portion of the wingspan. These airbrakes turned out to be rather ineffective. The wing terminated in small tip bodies. [1] [2]
The fuselage was built in two sections that bolted together. It was ovoid in cross-section, tapering aft to a conventional but integral tail. The fin was straight edged with a rounded tip and a small fillet at its base. Its rudder extended down to the keel. The tailplane was mounted on the fin near the top of the fillet, carrying elevators that had a large cut-out for rudder movement. The Ghoppia's cockpit was over the wing, under a rather prominent canopy which opened by sliding rearwards. This had perspex transparencies forwards and to the sides but was opaque rearwards and above. A skid, reaching aft to about mid-chord, and a tail bumper formed the undercarriage. [1] [2]
Partly due to the single-piece wing, the Ghoppia was unusually light with an empty weight of only 80 kg (176 lb). [1]
The Ghoppia was first flown from Bresso, then later from Linate, sometimes launched by aerotow. The sole example was lost in an out-landing accident during a competition organised by the aeroclub of Milan. [1] [2]
Data from Pedrielli (2011) p. 221 [1]
General characteristics
Performance
