Annular wing horizontal flight testbed?

[cluttonfred]

I have spent much of the weekend with JC Carbonel's wonderful history of the SNECMA Coleopter program. It's surprising to me, though, that neither SNECMA nor anybody else seems to have flown any test aircraft to investigate futher the qualities of an annular wing in horizontal flight. JCC or others, anyone know of any such aircraft? Cheers, Matthew

 

[Michel Van]

there were some test

the first was the Aircraft "Givauden" from 1909 it had 2 ringwings

but i don't know if has fly

next to SNECMA Coleopter program
made Alexander Lippisch recarch on ringwings in Germany
scale remote model some launch horizontal.

later came lippisch collins aerodyne

in end that became Dornier Aerodyne E1

but that was canceld, because lack of use at Bundeswehr.

 

[cluttonfred]

What about any modern, horizontal take-off and landing projects or completed aircraft?

 

[Michel Van]

Lockheed study the "Flying Bog Seat", but build no prototype

there was one manufactor for small aircraft try a prototype (i have NO idea who build that craft)
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/2/5/1/0657152.jpg
but thats more of a Boxwing

 

[Retrofit]

Also David Myers "Orbitair" (but far from annular).

More info: http://www.ultralightnews.com/airventure99/orbitair.htm

Photo: Air-Britain; Dave Mangham http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1119700/

 

[Matej]

there was one manufactor for small aircraft try a prototype (i have NO idea who build that craft)
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/2/5/1/0657152.jpg
but thats more of a Boxwing

Its from the Belarus but I cant remember the manufacturer at the moment.

Edit: here it is http://www.popmech.ru/blogs/post/1395-okoltsovannyiy-samol-t/

 

[Retrofit]

W. P. Gary "Hoople" 1911 (not really modern ;D)

This aircraft was built by William Pierce Gary in New Jersey in 1910-13 = 1p ribless, circular-wing experimental; 50hp Harriman; ff: 4/9/11. 40' hooplike wingform with the tail on a boom. POP: 1, damaged beyond repair when the landing gear broke on take-off and, on alighting after a 100-yd flight, the craft dug its nose into the ground. Judging from photos, there were at least three versions or modifications of this curiosity that actually flew (how long or how far was unstated), one of them with triplane wings within a hoop. Some reports mention a 20' circular wing, which could be any of the variations. The name was unofficially supplied by neighbors for its shape, as was also "Gary-plane." Gary built several other one-of-a-kind, more conventional planes after WW1, most of them from Curtiss JN-4 components.

Source: http://celticowboy.com/Round%20Aircraft%20Designs.htm

 

[cluttonfred]

Thanks, Retrofit. I find it really amazing that annular wings were proposed for a number of WWII and beyond VTOL projects yet no one seems to have done any serious research into the horizontal flight characteristics of annular wings! That example from Belarus seems to be about the only modern example.

Hmmm, I have been kicking around ideas for a little homebuilt that would be easy to trailer, maybe this is the answer: annular wing, large tailplane with elevon functions, both within the span to trailer without folding. A 2.5 m diameter wing with a 1.25m chord would give 9.81m2 (6.25m2 in plan view) which is quite doable for a single-seater. It would certainly be unique. I'll have to dust off my copy of X-Plane and see how a quick and dirty simulation flies, likely with an octagonal or hexagonal wing to ease the virtual building, though I am not sure that X-Plane will model the behavior of something like that accurately.

 

[borovik]

Its from the Belarus but I cant remember the manufacturer at the moment.
Edit: here it is http://www.popmech.ru/blogs/post/1395-okoltsovannyiy-samol-t/
[/quote]
This aircraft by A.Narushkevich or “S.O.K.”
(jointly with the pilot A.Gushchin)
Here are some details:
Wingspan -7.5 m
Wing area - 19,5 m2
MTOW-1350kg
Engine power-260 hp
Speed max .- 300km / h.
________________________
Something else from the "Old Testament Aviation "(not really modern ;D)

 

[Maveric]

Thanks borovik for this good info about the ugly bird... B)

 

[JC Carbonel]

I can reply only for SNECMA : there was plans for a R/C model to follow the Ecrevisse test-bed with a small jet engine. Now this was bypassed in favour of a larger, piloted machine using a larger engine : the Atar Volant. I understand two factors combined to push toward the "ATAR volant" option, maybe three.
1°) jet engines were the core business of SNECMA : they could as well spare a small or a large for their experiments
2°) a manned vehicle was much better for publicity purpose , Salon du Bourget et all
3°) as recounted in Alexis Rocher's Coléo article in Le Fana (which really compliment well my own book); there were many people among other manufacturers, state administration etc... who wondered / objected to SNECMA building an aircraft ... the ATAR volant could be termed an "engine" ...

I was not able to find much material about Hiller and Kaman Coleo-clones but the Kaman "Flying barrel" seemed a publicity stunt and Hiller claimed in articles to have "quickly" found the machine unworkable (managed to have time to build a nice mock-up however)

I note noone has ever attempted a R/C Flying Model Coleoptere either ....

Basically for me it was one of the frustrations of this book : after writing 200+ pages on a subject, I could not make up my opinion as to wether it was a valid endeavour or not !

JCC

 

[Grif]

If you go here:

http://www.jetex.org/models/plans/plans-misc/article-plan-coccinellida-am-5611.html

there's an article from way back about a coleopter model powered by Jetex - it'd probably work with a modern model rocket motor!
Grif

 

[JC Carbonel]

Ah yes the Jetex model. I had forgotten. But then it is something like a rocket flying model, as long as the engine pushes it flies! Note that there are doubts not only on the flyability of the Coleoptere but also about its ability to turn left or right...
That's why I mentionned R/C models.
And indeed while there is a photo of the Jetex model built-up there is no picture of it flying ....

JCC