Super Floater | |
---|---|
Role | Glider |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | US Aviation Wind Walker Aircraft Co |
Designer | Klaus Hill and Larry Hall |
First flight | 1970 |
Introduction | early 1970s |
Status | Production completed |
The US Aviation Super Floater (also called the SuperFloater and Superfloater) is an American high-wing, strut-braced, single-seat glider that was designed by Klaus Hill and Larry Hall and produced by US Aviation initially, and later by Wind Walker Aircraft Co. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] It first flew in 1970. [7]
The Super Floater is an ultralight sailplane that is designed for fun flying, rather than competition, and as such it has a glide ratio of just 15:1. It is very similar to the primary gliders of the 1930s in concept, performance and appearance. Designed to fit into the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles regulations, most are not registered with the Federal Aviation Administration. Most were factory built and delivered completed and ready to fly, although some may have been completed as homebuilt aircraft. [1] [2] [5]
The aircraft is made from aluminium tube, covered with Dacron. Its 38 ft (11.6 m) span wing is braced by twin "V" struts and jury struts. The cruciform tail is strut-braced. The controls consist of a side stick and rudder pedals. The landing gear is a monowheel gear, mounted directly behind the pilot. A ballistic parachute was factory-optional equipment. [1]
The aircraft was initially produced by US Aviation in the early 1970s, but production ended in the 1980s. It was briefly re-introduced by Wind Walker Aircraft Co in 1995, following a redesign, with US Aviation as distributor for US$5,995 fully assembled. [2]
In about 1994 Dave Chapman flew a Super Floater to an altitude of 12,500 ft (3,810 m) in mountain wave lift north of Salt Lake City, Utah. [2]
Data from Sailplane Directory and Hang Gliding Magazine [1] [2]
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
The Advanced Aeromarine Sierra was an American high-wing, strut-braced, single-seat, glider that was designed and produced by Advanced Aeromarine, as a kit for amateur construction.
The SZD-30 Pirat is a single-seat multipurpose glider aircraft from the Polish firm PZL Bielsko which first flew in 1966, and began production in 1967.
The Schneider Grunau Baby is a single-seat sailplane first built in Germany in 1931, with some 6,000 examples constructed in some 20 countries. It was relatively easy to build from plans, it flew well, and the aircraft was strong enough to handle mild aerobatics and the occasional hard landing. When the Baby first appeared, it was accepted wisdom that the pilot should feel as much unimpeded airflow as possible, to better sense rising and falling currents of air and temperature changes etc.
The Schweizer SGS 1-23 is a United States Open and Standard Class, single-seat, mid-wing glider built by Schweizer Aircraft of Elmira, New York.
The Windward Performance SparrowHawk is an American mid-wing, single-seat glider that was designed and produced by Windward Performance. It first flew in 2002.
The Slingsby T.21 is an open-cockpit, side-by-side two-seat glider, built by Slingsby Sailplanes Ltd and first flown in 1944. It was widely used by the Royal Air Force, Sri Lanka Air Force and by civilian gliding clubs.
The PIK-5 was a training glider produced in Finland in the 1940s, and 1950s, equipping the country's gliding clubs with an aircraft greater in performance than primary gliders but less than competition sailplanes.
The Slingsby T.12 Gull was a British single-seat glider designed and built by Slingsby Sailplanes and first flown in 1938.
The DFS Weihe is a German single-seat, high-wing, 18 metre wingspan, high-performance glider that was designed by Hans Jacobs in 1937-38.
The Detroit G1 Gull is an American high wing, cable-braced primary glider that was manufactured by the Detroit Aircraft Corporation during the Great Depression. It first flew in 1925.
The Johnson RHJ-6 Adastra was an American mid-wing, two-seat glider that was designed and constructed by Dick Johnson and first flown on 3 April 1960.
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 Hütter Hü 17, is a German high-wing, strut-braced, single-seat, utility training glider that was designed by brothers Ulrich Hütter and Wolfgang Hütter in the 1930s.
The Schleicher Ka-4 Rhönlerche II, sometimes called the KA-4 or even K 4, is a West German high-wing, strut-braced, two-seat glider that was designed by Rudolf Kaiser and produced by Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co.
The Bailey-Moyes Tempest, is an Australian-American high-wing, strut-braced, single-seat, microlift glider that was designed by Bob Bailey of Florida, United States and produced by Moyes Microlights of Waverley, New South Wales, Australia.
The Volmer VJ-24W SunFun is an American high-wing, strut-braced, single-seat, pod-and-boom motor glider and ultralight aircraft that was designed by Volmer Jensen and provided as plans for amateur construction by his company Volmer Aircraft of Glendale, California.
The Sandlin Bug is an American biplane, cable-braced, single-seat, ultralight glider that was designed by Mike Sandlin and is provided in the form of technical drawings for amateur construction.
The Sandlin Goat is an American parasol wing, single-seat, ultralight glider that was designed by Mike Sandlin and is provided in the form of technical drawings for amateur construction.
The Mitchell Wing B-10 is an American high-wing, open cockpit, single-seat, tailless, ultralight aircraft and motor glider designed by Don Mitchell and based on his Mitchell Wing hang-glider. It has been produced by a variety of companies in the form of kits and plans for amateur construction. It first flew in 1980.
The Scheibe Specht is a tandem seat training glider produced in Germany in the early 1950s. More than fifty were built.