The 11th mars 2000 I got a unique opportunity. I was invited by
Michel Mangenot of Air Est Services, the manufacturer of the
Pelican, a remarkable flying wing.
Whenever you see this Pelican you will say: "Man, it is small
!". I did too.
- Span 7,2 m 23 ft 7 1/2 in
- Length 3,1 m 10 ft 2 in
- Wingarea 12 m2 129.2 sq ft
- Weight 9 HP 80-85 kg 176 -187 lb 12 HP
100 kg 220 lb
- Engine, different engines possible:
- A tailmounted 9 HP or 12 HP A central mounted 30 HP (still in
development) Landing gear
- A central placed single wheel, a tailwheel and a small wheel
under each wing attached to a rod.
- Security coefficient to rupture +6 g
- Construction time 400 hours
- Performance with SOLO 12 HP
- Take-off run 150 m 492 ft
- Climb rate 2 m/s 6 ft 7 in/s
- Cruise speed 75 km/h 46,6 mph
- Take-off speed 40 km/h 24,8 mph
- Fuel consumption 3 l/h at 75 km/h 0.79 US gallons
at 46,6 mph
- Autonomy 3 hours
Compare the hinges of the rudders with the ones of the
model.
Here they still used U-shaped things under the wing to keep the
wing level. Later they were replaced with wheels on long rods.
I looks a bit like a Fauvel (but all unswept flying wings do,
especially those with two rudders), but it not a motorized glider.
It is a ultralight according to the French regulations. Probably
according to many other countries regulations too.
What was the main goal of the designer of the Pelican, J.C.
Debreyer? He wanted to prove that you can fly with only 10 HP. And
he did prove it.
During my talk with Michel Mangenot I asked him if you needed to
be a experienced pilot to fly the Pelican. "On the contrary", he
said, "it is a ideal plane for a beginner with limited resources (=
money). It is cheap and stable enough for a beginner." When he said
cheap I had no problem to believe. The next picture shows one of
the rudders and the elevator in construction. Do you see the blue
foam?
On the background you see the bottom of a project (black rain
drop shaped plate), which Michel Mangenot did help. It is a part of
a car that did "race" in a competition where cars have to ride as
far as possible with ONE liter (0.26 US gallon) fuel. This team of
students made a good race. Mangenot did advise them in the use of
composites and did help to construct the cars body.
Did you recognize the foam? Yes, it is the blue isolation foam
you can buy in any local DIY (translation DIY: doe-het-zelf-winkel
(NL), ........................). The low wing loading allows the
use of this foam in the construction of ribs of the wings and
rudders.
Just to show the small dimensions of the Pelican.
On the background there are several secondhand gliders and
ultralights for sale. Mangenot travels the world in search of these
secondhand. (picture by me)
The first Pelican was made in one piece. Christophe Bordeaux has
some nice pictures of the Prototype in his site (section Fauvel of
the Nurflugel-site). The prototype can be recognized by its
"squared" cockpit which was made in wood. Michel Mangenot is
currently working on a Pelican with detachable wings. There are
still some things that need to be worked out. But I started
thinking: "Are detachable wings necessary?" All the classic sport
planes like Piper, Cessna, Robin don't have detachable wings. They
are delivered to your airstrip and then you stock them in your
hangar. Why wouldn't you buy a Pelican if you have a hangar (your
own or the clubs) to place it in on your local airstrip. One-piece
airplanes are easier to build, are lighter (no heavy connection
points) and you don't have the fuss with connecting cables or rods.
The problem of getting it to your airstrip is only a
one-time-event. I am sure that moving companies can be a easy
solution for this event.
Here you see the blue foam again. Also visible is the 17%
thickness of the airfoil. Maybe a ideal place for some small fuel
tanks whenever installing the central engine (own opinion) (central
engine project is still in research). (picture by me)
