• Welcome aboard HomebuiltAirplanes.com, your destination for connecting with a thriving community of more than 10,000 active members, all passionate about home-built aviation. Dive into our comprehensive repository of knowledge, exchange technical insights, arrange get-togethers, and trade aircrafts/parts with like-minded enthusiasts. Unearth a wide-ranging collection of general and kit plane aviation subjects, enriched with engaging imagery, in-depth technical manuals, and rare archives.

    For a nominal fee of $99.99/year or $12.99/month, you can immerse yourself in this dynamic community and unparalleled treasure-trove of aviation knowledge.

    Embark on your journey now!

    Click Here to Become a Premium Member and Experience Homebuilt Airplanes to the Fullest!

Fauvel musings

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

cluttonfred

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Messages
10,724
Location
World traveler
Again and again over the years, when thinking about how to make a very simple, safe, affordable little airplane, I often return to the idea of a Fauvel-type unswept flying wing. Take a look at these images of the Fauvel AV-60 (3-view is actually the slightly later AV-61) from "Charles Fauvel and His Flying Wings" on the great Nurflugel site and Fraser Technology (near bottom of page).

AV60w5.jpg av60_1.jpg planAV61.gif

Fauvel AV-60
Specifications

Wing Span 7 m
Length 4 m
Empty Weight 220 kg
Max Gross Weight 350 kg
Maximum Speed 157 km/h
Cruise speed 128 km/h
Takeoff Distance 180 m

There are some pros and cons to Fauvel's tapered wings with separate elevators and ailerons and a simple constant-chord Backstrom-style plank wing with tip elevons also has merit, but either way just look at the simplicity in that cutaway drawing. I know Mike Whittaker is working on his pusher design and I am really looking forward to that, but I also think that a modest, tractor-engined unswept flying wing would make a great low-cost fun flyer.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top