Fournier RF 4
{{Short description|German/French motor glider, 1966}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2022}}
| {{Infobox Aircraft Begin
| name=RF 4 | image=fournier rf4d g-awgn motorglider arp.jpg | caption=RF 4D }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type | type= motor glider | national origin=France | manufacturer=Alpavia / Sportavia-Pützer | designer=René Fournier | first flight= | introduced=1966 | retired= | status= | primary user= | developed from=Fournier RF 3 | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Fournier RF 4 is a single-seater motor glider designed by René Fournier in 1966. It is an aerobatic version of the Fournier RF 3.[http://www.pilotfriend.com/aircraft%20performance/fournier/fournier.htm pilotfriend.com: Fournier aircraft history, performance and specifications] - accessed 13 March 2008[http://www.sailplanedirectory.com/PlaneDetails.cfm?planeID=457 Sailplane Directory: Fournier RF 5] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151112232928/http://www.sailplanedirectory.com/PlaneDetails.cfm?PlaneID=457 |date=2015-11-12 }} - accessed 13 March 2008
Design and development
Conceived as a motor glider and sport touring aircraft, the RF 4 was introduced in 1966. It is of all-wood construction and is fully aerobatic. The landing gear consists of a monowheel gear which retracts forward into a fibreglass cowling. The main wheel has a brake which is manually operated. There is a small steerable tailwheel and wing-mounted outrigger wheels.Plane and Pilot: 1978 Aircraft Directory, page 73. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. {{ISBN|0-918312-00-0}}
Operational history
An RF 4D was flown by Mira Slovak across the Atlantic Ocean while participating in the May 1969 Daily Mail Trans-Atlantic Air Race. The flight won a £1,000 prize offered by the London Evening News for the best performance in the race by an aircraft under {{convert|5000|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} gross take-off weight. The main landing gear fork is an ongoing maintenance issue, with regular replacements needed.{{cite journal|journal=Air Progress|date=October 1979|page=50|title=Cross Country in a Fournier Motor Glider|author=Jack Lambie}}
Variants
;RF 4
:Prototype aerobatic variant of the RF 3, three-built by Alpavia
;RF 4D
:Production variant, 155 built in Germany by Sportavia-Putzer, D was for Deutschland. 16 shipped to America{{cite journal|journal=Sport Aviation|date=July 2014|page=96|title=Switching to Glide|author=Dann PArks}}
Specifications (RF 4D)
File:Sportavia Fournier RF-4 D - AirExpo Muret 2007 0191 2007-05-12.jpg
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=In the Air:Number 230:Fournier RF 4D and Plane and PilotHarrison 1968, pp. 669–670.
|prime units?=met
|genhide=
|crew=1
|capacity=
|length m=
|length ft=19
|length in=10
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|span m=
|span ft=37
|span in=0
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|height m=
|height ft=5
|height in=2
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=122
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=11.2
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=595
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=860
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity={{convert|38|L}}
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Rectimo 4 AR 1200 (VW)
|eng1 type=air-cooled flat-four piston engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=39
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=Hoffmann
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=4
|prop dia in=11
|prop note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=122
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|max speed mach=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=110
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=46
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=155
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=400
|range nmi=
|range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=4
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=19000
|ceiling note=
|g limits=11
|roll rate=
|glide ratio=20:1
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=690
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|sink rate ms=
|sink rate ftmin=
|sink rate note=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=34.5
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=
|thrust/weight=
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}
See also
References
{{commons category|Fournier RF 4}}
{{reflist}}
- Harrison, Neil. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1968/1968%20-%200695.html?tracked=1 "In the Air:Number 230:Fournier RF 4D"]. Flight International, 2 May 1968. pp. 669–670.
{{Fournier aircraft}}
{{Sportavia-Pützer aircraft}}
Category:1960s French sailplanes
Category:1960s German sailplanes
Category:Sportavia-Pützer aircraft