Clutton-Tabenor FRED

{{Short description|British homebuilt aircraft}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2018}}

{{Infobox aircraft

|name=FRED

|image=Preparing for flight - Andrewsfield - geograph.org.uk - 119672.jpg

|caption=Being prepared for flight at Andrewsfield Airport, Essex, 1989

|type= Homebuilt monoplane

|manufacturer= Clutton-Tabenor

|designer= Eric Clutton

|first_flight= 1963

|introduction=

|retired=

|status=

|primary_user=

|more_users=

|produced=

|number_built=about 30-40

|variants=

}}

The Clutton-Tabenor FRED is a British homebuilt aircraft design introduced in 1963.{{cite book |last= Jackson|first= A.J.|title= British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1|year= 1974|publisher= Putnam|location= London|isbn=0-370-10006-9}}Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 98. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485XTacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 104. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. {{ISSN|1368-485X}}

Design and development

The prototype FRED (Flying Runabout Experimental Design) was designed and built by E.C. Clutton and E.W. Sherry between 1957 and 1963. The aircraft, registered G-ASZY, first flew at Meir aerodrome, Stoke-on-Trent on 3 November 1963. It was a single-seat wood and fabric parasol monoplane powered originally by a Triumph 5T motorcycle engine. By 1968 it was flying with a converted Volkswagen engine. The Continental A-65 {{convert|65|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} four-stroke powerplant has also been used. The plans were made available to allow the aircraft to be homebuilt and thirty to forty examples have been built around the world.

Variants

;FRED Series 1

:Prototype, one built.

;FRED Series 2

:Homebuilt version sold in the form of plans.

;FRED Series 3

:Improved homebuilt version with {{convert|65|hp|kW|abbr=on}} Continental A65 engine. First flight December 1982.{{sfn|Taylor|1983|p=550}}

Specifications (FRED Series 2)

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1971–72{{sfn|Taylor|1971|p=187}}

|prime units?=imp

|crew=1

|length ft=17

|length in=0

|span ft=22

|span in=6

|height ft=6

|height in=0

|wing area sqft=110

|aspect ratio=4.4:1

|airfoil=Göttingen 535

|empty weight lb=533

|gross weight lb=773

|fuel capacity={{convert|7.5|impgal|USgal L|abbr=on}}

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=converted 1500 cc Volkswagen engine

|eng1 type=4-cylinder air-cooled horizontally opposed piston engine

|eng1 hp=66

|max speed mph=75

|cruise speed mph=63

|stall speed mph=40

|stall speed note=(approx)

|range mi=200

}}

References

{{Reflist}}

  • {{cite book |editor-last=Taylor |editor-first=John W. R. |editor-link=John W. R. Taylor |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1971–72 |year=1971| location=London |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd. |isbn=0-354-00094-2}}
  • {{cite book |editor-last=Taylor |editor-first=John W. R. |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1983–84 |year=1983 |location=London |publisher=Jane's Yearbooks |isbn=0-7106-0780-6}}