Bowlus BZ-1
{{Short description|American glider}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=BZ-1 | image=Bowlus BZ-1.jpg | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Glider | national origin=United States | manufacturer= | designer=Michael Bowlus | first flight=September 13, 1984 | introduced=1983 | retired= | status= | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built=One | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Bowlus BZ-1 is an American single seat FAI 15 Meter Class, V-tailed glider that was designed and built by Michael Bowlus.{{Cite web|url = http://www.sailplanedirectory.com/PlaneDetails.cfm?PlaneID=160|title = HP-11 Airmate HP Aircraft, LLC|accessdate = 4 May 2011|last = Activate Media|year = 2006|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110820205029/http://www.sailplanedirectory.com/PlaneDetails.cfm?planeID=160|archivedate = 20 August 2011}}Said, Bob: 1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine, page 7. Soaring Society of America November 1983. USPS 499-920
Design and development
The BZ-1 started as a design by Clark Frazier of Bluffton, Ohio in 1967. He started construction of a glider fuselage from the drop tank of a North American F-86 Sabre and called it the Zeus II. Frazier never completed the project and it was subsequently purchased by Michael Bowlus of Worthington, Ohio. Bowlus constructed wings for the re-designated BZ-1, starting with the wing design of the Schreder Airmate HP-11, but shortened to {{convert|15|m|ft|1|abbr=on}}. The wing incorporates ailerons hinged at the bottom and a NACA 65 (3)-618 laminar flow airfoil. The interconnected flaps and ailerons are all undercambered and assembled using the same bonded construction technique used on the Schreder HP-18. The flaps extend to 90° for landing.
The BZ-1 has a retractable monowheel landing gear, a V-tail and was built from aluminium. At the time of its completion in 1983 the designer intended to add water ballast tanks to allow the carriage of {{convert|115|lb|kg|1|abbr=on}} of water. The BZ-1 had its first flight on September 13, 1984.Bowlus, Michael: The Bowlus BZ-1, page 36. Soaring Society of America March 1986.
The aircraft was reported as complete and ready for first flight in 1983, but in May 2011, it was no longer on the Federal Aviation Administration registry.{{Cite web|url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=&Modeltxt=BZ-1&PageNo=1|title = Make / Model Inquiry Results|accessdate = 15 May 2011|last = Federal Aviation Administration|authorlink = |date=May 2011}}
Specifications (BZ-1)
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|wing area sqft=102
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|aspect ratio=23.7
|airfoil=NACA 65(3)-618
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|empty weight lb=480
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|gross weight lb=700
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|glide ratio=37:1 (projected) at 55 mph (89 km/h)
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|sink rate ftmin=120
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