Perl PG-130 Penetrator
{{Short description|American glider}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=PG-130 Penetrator | image= | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Glider | national origin=United States | manufacturer= | designer=Harry Perl | first flight=1953 | introduced= | retired= | status=Sole example in the National Soaring Museum | primary user= | more users= | produced= 1953 | number built=One | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Perl PG-130 Penetrator is an American mid-wing, single-seat glider that was designed and constructed by Harry Perl.{{Cite web|url = http://www.sailplanedirectory.com/PlaneDetails.cfm?planeID=256|title = Penetrator PG-130 Perl|accessdate = 8 June 2011|last = Activate Media|year = 2006|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120819221048/http://www.sailplanedirectory.com/PlaneDetails.cfm?planeID=256|archivedate = 19 August 2012}}Said, Bob: 1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine, page 52. Soaring Society of America November 1983. USPS 499-920
Design and development
The PG-130 was completed in 1953. The aircraft has a wooden structure, with the wings and tail covered in doped aircraft fabric covering. The {{convert|48|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} span wing employs a Göttingen Gö 549 airfoil and features dive brakes. The wing has a foam-filled leading edge. The tail is an all-flying design. The aircraft originally took off from a jettisonable take-off dolly and landed on a fixed skid, but was later modified with a fixed monowheel.{{Cite web|url = http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/aircraft.html|title = The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage|accessdate = 2 June 2011|last = Lednicer|first = David|authorlink = |year = 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100420012244/http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/aircraft.html|archive-date = 20 April 2010|url-status = dead}}
The sole example of the PG-130 was registered with the US Federal Aviation Administration as an Experimental - Amateur-built.
Operational history
Soaring Magazine reported in 1983 that Perl still owned the aircraft and was flying it at that time. The PG-130 was removed from the FAA register prior to 1989 and now belongs to the National Soaring Museum, where it was listed as "in storage" in June 2011.{{Cite web|url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=8146H|title = Make / Model Inquiry Results|accessdate = 8 June 2011|last = Federal Aviation Administration|authorlink = |date=June 2011}}
Aircraft on display
- National Soaring Museum - in storage{{cite web|url = http://www.soaringmuseum.org/collection.html|title = Sailplanes in Our Collection|accessdate = 8 June 2011|last = National Soaring Museum|year = 2011|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110516142717/http://www.soaringmuseum.org/collection.html|archivedate = 16 May 2011}}
Specifications (PG-130)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Sailplane Directory, Soaring and The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage
|prime units?=imp
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|crew=one
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|length m=
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|span m=
|span ft=48
|span in=0
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|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=130
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=17.75:1
|airfoil=Göttingen Gö 549
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=480
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=680
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|glide ratio=33 at {{convert|52|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}
|sink rate ms=
|sink rate ftmin=126
|sink rate note= at {{convert|44|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}
|lift to drag=
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|wing loading lb/sqft=5.23
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See also
{{aircontent
|see also=
|related=
- Nelson Hummingbird PG-185B - another Perl design for Nelson Aircraft
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