Rubik R-11b Cimbora

Last updated
R-11b Cimbora
Rubik R11B Cimbora OTT2013 D7N9727 001.jpg
RoleAdvanced trainer sailplane
National origin Hungary
ManufacturerAero Ever Kft. Esztergom (50) and the Aircraft Factory of Transylvania in Oradea (12).
Designer Ernő Rubik
First flight9 May 1940
Number builtc.62

The Rubik R-11b Cimbora (Pal) was a Hungarian two seat glider, first flown in 1940 and intended to introduce B-certificated pilots to aero-towing techniques. It proved popular and was also used to train pilots in ridge lift flying and set several national duration records.

Contents

Development

In 1939 there was a call from the Aeroclub of the fhe Technical University for a two-seat glider on which intermediate level pilots could learn the skills required for aerotowing. Ernő Rubik responded with the F-11 Gólya (Stork) built, like several of his designs, by Aero Ever Kft. Its first flight was on 9 May 1940. A combination of flight test results and tightening regulations lead to three more prototypes, the R-11a, R-11b and R11b1. Details of the differences between them are sparse but it was the R-11b, renamed the Cimbora that went into production in 1941. [1] [2]

Design

R-11b Cimbora in 2015, winch-launching R-11b Cimbora 2015 08.jpg
R-11b Cimbora in 2015, winch-launching

The R-11 was a glider with a high, swept, strut-braced wing. The half-wings were built around two spars. Swept at 7.5°, they had constant chord out to rounded tips. Slotted ailerons occupied more than half the span. The wings were supported centrally over the fuselage by a longitudinal pair of inward-leaning steel N-struts from the upper fuselage longerons, joined at their tops and braced outboard by a pair of steel struts on each side from the lower fuselage longerons to the wing spars. On the R-11a Gólya, these were V-struts but the R-11b had instead a near-parallel pair, splaying outwards a little from top to bottom. [1] [2]

Apart from rounded upper decking the ply-covered fuselage was flat-sided, built around longerons and frames. The student's cockpit was under the wing leading edge with a removable cover incorporating a windscreen and the instructor sat under the rear wing in an open cockpit over the centre of gravity (cg) with its own windscreen, accessed via an upwardly hinged upper fuselage section. On the underside a landing skid ran from the nose to below the front of the instructor's cockpit. Aft of it, but ahead of the cg. there was a semi-exposed monowheel. The fuselage tapered rearwards to the tail, where the R-11's strut-braced tailplane was placed on top of the fuselage just ahead of a small, tapered fin. The tailplane and elevators together were tapered in plan out to rounded tips. The full, rounded, balanced rudder reached down to the keel, behind a small tailskid. [2]

Operational history

As well as providing aerotowing training, the Cimbora was used to train pilots in ridge-flying techniques, a style which encouraged duration record attempts. The longest in Hungary lasted 25 hr 7 min, flown by Géza Vass and Endre Lacza in August 1948. R-11bs remained in use into the 1950s. [2] A 1984 replica, HA-5035, based at Budaörs Airport, [3] remained active at least to 2016 but is currently deregistered.

Specifications

Data from Gabor, F [2]

General characteristics

Performance

Related Research Articles

The Koolhoven F.K.42 was a parasol-wing, two-seat training monoplane manufactured by Koolhoven in the Netherlands. Only one was built.

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

RRG Prüfling

The 1926 German RRG Prüfling of 1926 was a secondary training glider designed for club use. Plans were sold and it was built in Germany and across the world.

The Schneider Grunau 8 was a simple, two-seat trainer glider designed and built in Germany in the early 1930s.

Aviméta 88

The Aviméta 88 was an all-metal French two-seat reconnaissance-fighter or heavy fighter tested in 1927.

Nieuport-Delage NiD 580

The Nieuport-Delage NiD 580 R.2 was a contender for a French government contract for a long range, two seat reconnaissance aircraft, issued in 1928. There were eight prototypes in the 1931-2 contest and the NiD 580 was not selected for production.

The Kućfir Pirat was a Polish glider designed to compete in the 1923 First Polish Glider Contest. Though it had flown earlier it could manage only one very brief flight at the Contest, ending in a destructive crash.

The MSrE M-20 was an Hungarian primary glider with a better performance than the first generation of such aircraft. One of its designers was Ernő Rubik and the MSrE M-20 was his first major contribution. Only one was built.

Rubik R-03 Szittya I

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 Jancsó-Szokolay M22 was a Hungarian single-seat sailplane first flown in 1937. Twenty were built and the type set several national records. Some remained in service up to about 1953.

Rubik R-07 Vöcsök

The Rubik R-07a Tücsök {Cicada) and R-07b Vöcsök (Grebe) were two versions of a Hungarian primary trainer, differing most obviously in the pilot's seating. First flown in the late 1930s, about 530 were built, some remaining in service into the 1960s.

Rubik R-08 Pilis

The Rubik R-08 Pilis was a Hungarian single-seat, advanced training glider first flown in 1939. It was very successful; 269 were built in batches, the first starting in 1939 and the last in 1956.

The Lampisch LS-16 was a Hungarian training glider of mixed construction. It was flown but not granted a Certificate of Airworthiness.

Rubik R-12 Kevély

The Rubik R-12 Kevély (Proud) was a Hungarian advanced training glider. It was designed to provide safe cloud-flying experience and also raised the Hungarian height gained record several times. About fifty were built and operated between 1941 and 1951.

Rubik R-15 Koma

The Rubik R-15 Koma (Godfather) was a side-by-side seat Hungarian training glider designed to introduce pilots to winch-launching techniques. A second, very similar but single seat design, the Rubik R-16 Lepke, provided follow-up solo experience of the same techniques. Pairs were widely used by Hungarian glider clubs post-war, with 65 of each produced.

Rubik R-16 Lepke

The Rubik R-16 Lepke (Butterfly) was a single seat Hungarian training glider designed to follow the very similar but two seat Rubik R-15 Koma in a winch-launch training programme. The Lepke provided solo experience of the techniques learned with an instructor in an aircraft with similar handling characteristics. That done, the Lepke could be used as a standard trainer to take its pilot to C-certificate level. The pair were widely used by Hungarian glider clubs post-war, with sixty-five of each produced.

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.

Kemény K-02

The Kemény K-02 Szellő was a Hungarian training glider from the late 1940s. It was originally designed for a national contest to build a primary trainer but when this was won by the Rubik R-16 Lepke it was resigned to have more advanced soaring capability which could take pilots to their Silver C badge. Ninety were produced.

The Rubik R-27 Kópé (Imp), a single-seat trainer, was one of three similar, metal-framed Hungarian gliders. Two prototypes were flown in the early 1960s but the type did not reach production.

Rubik R-31 Dupla

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.

References

  1. 1 2 Gabor, Jareb (1988). Magyar vitorlázó repülögépek (in Hungarian). Budapest: Müszaki Könuvkiadó. pp. 99–104.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Fekes Gabor. "R-11b Cimbora, Hungarian gliders 1933-2000" . Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  3. ↑ Ogden, Bob (2009). Aviation Museums and Collections of Mainland Europe. Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. p. 295. ISBN   978 0 85130 418 2.


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.