Mitchell Wing B-10
{{Short description|American ultralight aircraft}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2021}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=B-10 | image=N4232A Mitchell Wing B-10 (8738154089).jpg | caption=Mitchell Wing B-10 at Pima Air & Space Museum }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Ultralight aircraft and motor glider | national origin=United States | manufacturer=US Pacific | designer=Don Mitchell | first flight=1980 | introduced=mid-1980s | retired= | status=Plans available (2012) | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built= | developed from= | variants with their own articles=AmeriPlanes Mitchell Wing A-10 }} |
The Mitchell Wing B-10 is an American high-wing, open cockpit, single-seat, tailless, ultralight aircraft and motor glider designed by Don Mitchell and based on his Mitchell Wing hang-glider. It has been produced by a variety of companies in the form of kits and plans for amateur construction.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 138. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485XJohn W. Taylor (ed.); Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1908-81. pp.530-1. It first flew in 1980.{{Cite web |title=J2mcL Planeurs - Fiche planeur n° |url=https://www.j2mcl-planeurs.net/dbj2mcl/planeurs-machines/planeur-fiche_0int.php?code=911 |access-date=2022-05-21 |website=www.j2mcl-planeurs.net}}
In 2012 the aircraft was still available in the form of plans and some materials, offered by US Pacific of Fresno, California.
Design and development
The Mitchell Wing started off as a foot-launched hang glider with good soaring performance. Mitchell later modified the design into a powered ultralight aircraft with wheeled tricycle landing gear, known as the B-10. The B-10F is a foot-launched variant with only two wheels. The B-10 was designed to comply with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules, including the category's maximum empty weight of {{convert|254|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}. The aircraft has a standard empty weight of {{convert|245|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}.
The B-10's fuselage is made from aluminum tubing while the wing has a birch plywood D-cell leading edge and foam ribs, covered with Dacron sailcloth or doped aircraft fabric. The tailless wing is common to all three variants. It is of tapered and lightly-swept form, employing a NACA 23015 airfoil. It has a span of {{convert|36|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} span wing, area of {{convert|136|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}, aspect ratio of 8:1. The {{convert|8.5|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} outboard wing panels have 6 degrees of dihedral and the wing overall has 12 degrees of sweep. The controls are conventional three axis, comprising trailing elevons and wing tip mounted vertical rudders, and operated via a top-mounted centre stick.
Power is provided by a single engine in pusher configuration, mounted behind the pilot's seat. Small engines in the {{convert|20|to|30|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} range can be used: The prototype was fitted with a {{convert|12|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} McCulloch MC101, with Chrysler West Bend and McCulloch two-strokes being recommended.{{cite web|url = http://home.earthlink.net/~mitchellwing/b10.html|title = The Mitchell Wing B-10 Ultralight Motor Glider|accessdate = 3 December 2012|last = US Pacific|year = 2003|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170107191653/http://home.earthlink.net/~mitchellwing/b10.html|archive-date= 7 January 2017|url-status=dead}} and the Zenoah G-25 of {{convert|22|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} has been fitted.{{cn|date=January 2022|reason=can't find in the cited sources}}
Construction time for the supplied plans is estimated at 500 hours.
The B-10 can be quickly disassembled for ground transport or storage. The outer wing panels fold or can be removed, the fuselage cage is detachable and the tip rudders are quickly removed.
The B-10 was subsequently developed into the A-10 and two-seat T-10 and the mid-wing Mitchell U-2 Superwing.
Aircraft on display
- US Southwest Soaring Museum{{cite web|url = http://swsoaringmuseum.org/collection.htm|title = Sailplanes, Hang Gliders & Motor Gliders|accessdate = 3 December 2012|last = US Southwest Soaring Museum |authorlink = |year = 2010|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190712084858/http://swsoaringmuseum.org/collection.htm|archive-date= 12 July 2019|url-status=live}}
Specifications (B-10)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12 and US Pacific{{cite web|url = http://home.earthlink.net/~mitchellwing/specs.html|title = Specifications|accessdate = 3 December 2012|last = US Pacific|year = 2003|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170108044918/http://home.earthlink.net/~mitchellwing/specs.html|archive-date= 8 January 2017|url-status=dead}}
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=one
|capacity=
|length m=
|length ft=8
|length in=
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=34
|span in=
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=4
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=136
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=8:1
|airfoil=NACA 23015
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=245
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=595
|gross weight note=
|fuel capacity={{convert|5|L}}
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Zenoah G-25
|eng1 type=two stroke aircraft engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=22
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=Wooden fixed pitch
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=4
|prop dia in=2
|prop note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=65
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=60
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=25
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=12000
|ceiling note=
|g limits=+4/-4
|roll rate=
|glide ratio=16:1
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=600
|climb rate note=
|sink rate ms=
|sink rate ftmin=
|sink rate note=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=4.4
|wing loading note=
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Mitchell Wing B-10}}
- {{Official website|https://mitchellwings.com/}}
{{Don Mitchell aircraft}}
Category:1980s United States sailplanes
Category:Don Mitchell aircraft