The Croses Pouplume ("lousefeather") was an unusual ultralight aircraft developed in France in the 1960s. It was inspired by Henri Mignet's Pou-du-Ciel design with its distinctive tandem wing layout. Croses set out to develop a similar aircraft, to be powered by a single-cylinder motorcycle engine of around 6 kW (8 hp). Construction was wood with fabric covering.[1] The resulting machine, designated the EC-1 weighed only 108 kg (238 lb) empty, and first flew in about 1960. Like the Pou-du-Ciel, the Pouplume dispensed with traditional ailerons and elevators, and pivoted the entire forward wing to provide pitch control.
| Pouplume | |
|---|---|
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| |
| EC-3S Pouplume Sport (F-PYKM) | |
| Role | Ultralight |
| Manufacturer | homebuilt |
| Designer | Emilien Croses |
| First flight | 1960 |
The EC-1 was followed by the EC-2, a two-seat version powered by a conventional aero-engine, and the EAC-3, the definitive version marketed for homebuilding, again powered by a motorcycle engine. By 1977, at least twelve examples of the EAC-3 had flown. A further development, the Pouplume Sport was designed to be powered by a 1500 cc Volkswagen air-cooled engine, and featured wings of reduced span. In 1977, about 55 of this version were known to be under construction.
Variants
edit- Croses EC-1 Pouplume
- Single seat
- Croses EC-2 Pouplume
- Two seat
- Croses EAC-3 Pouplume
- Homebuilt version
- Croses Pouplume Sport
- VW powered
Specifications (typical EC-3)
editGeneral characteristics
- Crew: One pilot
- Length: 4.70 m (15 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)
- Height: 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
- Wing area: 16.0 m2 (172 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 110 kg (243 lb)
- Gross weight: 220 kg (485 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Monet-Goyon motorcycle engine , 6.0 kW (8.0 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 70 km/h (44 mph, 38 kn)
References
edit
- ^ Air Progress Sport Aircraft: 74. Winter 1969.
{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 272. ISBN 0-7106-0710-5.
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1977-78. London: Jane's Jearbooks. p. 486.
- "Croses Pouplume: Monomoteur ultra-léger". Aviation Magazine (341): 49. 15 February 1962.
See also
edit
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