Prue IIA
{{Short description|American glider}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2022}}
| {{Infobox Aircraft Begin
| name=IIA | image= | caption= }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type | type=Glider | national origin=United States | manufacturer=Ed Minghelle | designer=Irving Prue | first flight=October 1964 | introduced=1964 | retired= | status=Sole example in the National Soaring Museum | primary user=Ed Minghelle | more users= | produced= | number built=One | developed from= Prue Two | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Prue IIA is an American, high-wing, two-seat, T-tailed glider that was designed by Irving Prue and constructed by Ed Minghelle of Palmdale, California.{{Cite web|url = http://www.sailplanedirectory.com/PlaneDetails.cfm?planeID=429|title = IIA Prue|accessdate = 16 June 2011|last = Activate Media|year = 2006|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120819221157/http://www.sailplanedirectory.com/PlaneDetails.cfm?planeID=429|archivedate = 19 August 2012}}Said, Bob: 1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine, page 55, Soaring Society of America November 1983. USPS 499-920{{Cite web|url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=86671|title = Make / Model Inquiry Results N86671|accessdate = 16 June 2011|last = Federal Aviation Administration|authorlink = |date=June 2011}}
Design and development
Based on the Prue Two, the IIA incorporates many changes to the basic design, including a T-tail in place of a low-tail, fixed instead of retractable landing gear, a shorter two-piece wing instead of a three-piece wing and an empty weight that is {{convert|210|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} lighter. The Prue IIA was built by Minghelle between 1961 and 1964, culminating in a first flight in October 1964.
The Prue IIA has a {{convert|60|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} wing that employs a NACA 63-618 airfoil. The aircraft is of all-metal construction and seats two in tandem under a long single-piece canopy.{{Cite web|url = http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/aircraft.html|title = The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage|accessdate = 15 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}}
Operational history
The Prue IIA was used to set several multi-place glider records. It held the world out-and-return record of {{convert|366.88|mi|km|2|abbr=on}} for a period of six months in 1967. A second world out-and-return record was set in 1972, flying {{convert|425.3|mi|km|1|abbr=on}} from Pearblossom, California. In 1967 it was also flown to a world multi-place declared goal record of {{convert|322.35|mi|km|0|abbr=on}}.
The IIA was removed from the Federal Aviation Administration aircraft registry on 16 March 1989 and now belongs to the National Soaring Museum.
Aircraft on display
- National Soaring Museum - sole example, listed as "in storage".{{cite web|url = http://www.soaringmuseum.org/collection.html|title = Sailplanes in Our Collection|accessdate = 9 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 (Prue IIA)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Sailplane Directory and Soaring
|prime units?=imp
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|crew=one
|capacity=one passenger
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|span ft=60
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|wing area sqft=185
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|aspect ratio=18.3
|airfoil=NACA 63-618
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=880
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|gross weight lb=1350
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|glide ratio=36:1 at {{convert|60|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}
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|sink rate ftmin=120
|sink rate note= at {{convert|45|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}
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|wing loading lb/sqft=6.2
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See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Irving Prue aircraft}}
Category:1960s United States sailplanes