Maupin Windrose

Windrose
Role	Glider and motor glider
National origin	United States
Designer	Jim Maupin
First flight	June 1983 (glider) 1984 (motorglider)
Introduction	1983 (glider) 1984 (motorglider)
Number built	at least 14

The Maupin Windrose is an American high-wing, single-seat glider and motor glider that was designed by Jim Maupin for the Sailplane Homebuilders Association Design Contest.^[1][2][3]

Design and development

Maupin designed the Windrose as an easy-to-construct, safe, self-launching, low-cost and aesthetically-pleasing aircraft project that could be flown as a pure glider or a powered glider.^[1][2]

The design has many innovative features and is of mixed construction using wood, foam and fiberglass. The wing is carved from solid foam and covered in fiberglass. There is no spar and instead the wing employs bands of unidirectional roving epoxied under the outer skin and joined by vertical dowels to take the compression loads from the underlying foam. The wing is of a 41.5 ft (12.6 m) span or, optionally, a 49.2 ft (15.0 m) span, and uses an Irv Culver custom airfoil. The ailerons are controlled from their inboard ends and there are no control runs inside the wings, which are solid.^[1][2][4]

The fuselage is built around a hollow plywood box structure that supports the wing, landing gear, cockpit and the optional Cuyuna 430 33 hp (25 kW) engine. The cockpit shell is made from fiberglass. A single triangular spoiler for glidepath control is mounted in the fuselage roof, above the wing center section. Both the vertical stabilizer and the horizontal stabilizer are all-flying surfaces.^[1][2]

Operational history

Ar least 14 aircraft were completed in the USA. As of July 2011 five remain on the Federal Aviation Administration registry, including four gliders and one motorglider, which is owned by the designer. All are registered in the Experimental - Amateur-built category.^[3]

Variants

Windrose glider

Unpowered version with a 315 lb (143 kg) empty weight and a 525 lb (238 kg) gross weight, first flown in June 1983.^[1][2]

Windrose motor glider

Powered version with a 390 lb (177 kg) empty weight and a 600 lb (272 kg) gross weight, first flown in 1984. Take-off distance at sea level on a standard day is 500 ft (152 m) and the initial rate of climb is 500 fpm (2.5 m/s).^[1][2]

Specifications (Windrose glider)

Data from Sailplane Directory and Soaring^[1][2]

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Length: 41 ft 6 in (12.65 m)
• Wing area: 95.25 sq ft (8.849 m²)
• Aspect ratio: 18.25:1
• Airfoil: Irv Culver custom
• Empty weight: 315 lb (143 kg)
• Gross weight: 525 lb (238 kg)

Performance

• Maximum glide ratio: 30 at 48 mph (77 km/h)
• Rate of sink: 126 ft/min (0.64 m/s) at 40.5 mph (65.2 km/h)
• Wing loading: 5.5 lb/sq ft (27 kg/m²)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Alpaero Sirius
  

Related lists

• List of gliders
  

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Activate Media (2006). "Windrose Maupin". http://www.sailplanedirectory.com/PlaneDetails.cfm?PlaneID=383. Retrieved 6 July 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Said, Bob: 1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine, page 68, Soaring Society of America November 1983. USPS 499-920
3. ^ ^{a b} Federal Aviation Administration (July 2011). "Make / Model Inquiry Results". http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=&Modeltxt=WINDROSE&PageNo=1. Retrieved 6 July 2011. 
4. ^ Lednicer, David (2010). "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/aircraft.html. Retrieved 1 July 2011. 

External links

• Photo of Windrose motorglider