| Viking 1 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | High performance sailplane |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Scott Light Aircraft Ltd, Dunstable |
| Designer | W. R. Scott |
| First flight | 6 November 1938 |
| Number built | 4 |
| Unit cost | £265 ex-works, 1938 |
| Variants | Scott Viking 2 |
The Scott Viking 1 was a single seat, high-performance glider designed and built in the UK just before the Second World War. Only four were constructed, one setting records in Argentina and another remaining active into the 1980s.
The Viking 1 was an all-wood aircraft, with a single spar cantilever shoulder wing which was fabric covered behind the spar. In plan, the wing had constant chord in the central section and tapered outer panels with rounded tips. The outer panels, each about one third of the span, carried full width, variable droop ailerons. A pair of hinged plate spoilers was fitted at mid-chord on the centre section. The wing had slight dihedral. [1] [2]
The fuselage was oval in section and plywood skinned. The single seat cockpit was just ahead of the wings and had a multi-part, detachable, transparent canopy with a rather abrupt forward profile and a brief fairing aft. The fuselage narrowed to the rear where the tapered tailplane was mounted just above the fuselage on a short sub-fin or pedestal. There was no fixed fin; the tapered, rounded, fabric covered rudder extended to the lower fuselage and moved in a cut-out in the elevators. A single main skid reached from the nose to below the trailing edge of the wing, with a bumper style tail skid on the extreme rear fuselage. [1] [2]
A larger span derivative, the Scott Viking 2, was the first British high performance two seat sailplane. [1]
The prototype Viking 1 first flew, from Dunstable Downs, on 6 November 1938. Three more were completed. [1] The prototype was taken to Buenos Aires by R. P. Cooper, who flew, then sold, it there. By 1944 it was being flown in Argentina by Roberto Madson, setting new records. [3] A Viking 1 took part, though without distinction, in the last pre-war UK National Soaring Competition, held at the Derbyshire and Lancashire Gliding Club's site at Camphill, Great Hucklow in mid-July 1939. [4]
At least two of the three UK-based Vikings, all of which had appeared on the British Gliding Association register, [5] were impressed into war service. [1] From August 1940 BGA425 served at RAF Ringway with the Glider Flight, renamed the Glider Training Squadron on 22 August 1940 and transferred to a new base at RAF Thame on 28 December 1940. [6] Its initial role at Ringway was to develop glider instrumentation for military use.
Another example of the type was with the Air Training Corps; [1] they may have been engaged in radar calibration experiments; [2] both were taken out of use by 1942. The third Viking, registered BGA 416, remained active with the Leicestershire Gliding Club at Husbands Bosworth [1] until at least 1984. [7] It was moved to the Gliding Heritage Centre at Lasham Airfield in August 2015. [8]
Data from British Gliders and Sailplanes 1922-1970 [1]
General characteristics
Performance
The Slingsby T.13 Petrel was a British single-seat competition glider built by Slingsby Sailplanes just before World War II.
The Abbott-Baynes Scud 1 was a parasol-winged single seat glider intended to introduce pilots to soaring flight. It was built in the United Kingdom and first flew in 1931.
The Dart Cambridge was a single-seat competition sailplane built in the United Kingdom in the 1930s. A development of the Grunau Baby, only two were built, flying with gliding clubs.
The Dart Totternhoe was a single seat secondary training glider produced in the United Kingdom in the 1930s. Three were built, one serving in the RAF.
The Latimer-Needham Albatross was the first British-designed and constructed sailplane, flying in 1930. Only one example of this single-seat, wooden aircraft was built.
The Manuel Crested and Willow Wrens formed a series of wooden, single-seat gliders designed in the UK by W. L. Manuel in the early 1930s, intended for slope soaring. Some were built by the designer, others from plans he supplied. The Dunstable Kestrel was a further development.
The Penrose Pegasus was a 1930s high-wing, single-seat, wooden glider from the UK. Designed, built and flown by Harald Penrose until the start of World War II, only one was built at the time though a reproduction was constructed in the 1990s.
The Stedman TS-1 City of Leeds was a parasol wing wooden sailplane, seating two in tandem open cockpits. Only one was built, by its designer in 1934; it remained active until the outbreak of World War II.
The Akaflieg Darmstadt D-9 Konsul, often shortened to Darmstadt D-9 Konsul, was a high performance, single seat, cantilever monoplane sailplane, designed and built by a German University student group in 1923 for hill soaring.
The Arsenal Air 100 is a French single seat competition sailplane produced in the 1940s. It sold in small numbers but set several records, still holding the world absolute solo glider endurance record of 56 h 15 m.
The Cijan-Obad Orao is a competition single seat sailplane designed in Yugoslavia just after World War II, one of the most advanced of its type at the time. It flew in three World Gliding Championships, having greatest success at its first in 1950 when it reached third place.
The CVV1 Pinguino was a single seat, high performance glider designed and built in Italy in the mid-1930s, the first of a series of gliders from the Milan Polytechnic. It did not go into production.
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 CVV 3 Arcore was a single seat competition glider designed and built in Italy in the late 1930s, a development of the CVV 1 Pinguino. It participated in several national gliding competitions in the short period before the outbreak of World War II.
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 Schleicher Rhönadler, DFS Rhönadler or Jacobs Rhönadler is a high performance, single seat competition sailplane built in Germany in the 1930s. More than 65 were built.
The Aeronautica Lombarda AL-3 was an Italian sailplane, designed and built in 1939 to take part in the Olympic sailplane competition. It did so but was not successful.
The Teichfuss Astore was an Italian Intermediate single-seat trainer glider designed by Luigi Teichfuss and flown in 1936. Two were built.
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 Rotter Nemere or just Nemere was a Hungarian high performance, single seat sailplane designed and built for the 1936 ISTUS gliding demonstration held in 1936 alongside the Berlin Olympic Games.
