This flying wing looks sometimes expensive. But the basic model is not!
U S Pacific describes the U2 as:
"The U-2 has high quality wood and aircraft fabric construction. The pilot sits in the wing, under a bubble canopy. This keeps him out of the weather and maintains the aircraft's sleek, streamlined appearance. In winter months, solar energy entering through the canopy comfortably warms the cockpit. In the summer the canopy may be removed and a fairing can be mounted.
The outer wing panels of the U-2 fold up along the main wing section, exactly like the B-10. This allows for the dimension-downsizing necessary for transportation via truck or trailer. At the launch site, it takes less then 15 minutes to prepare it for flight.
The U-2 is comfortable in front of a 20 horse power engine and together they weigh in at just over 300 lbs. But if higher performance is a goal, this aircraft can certainly entertain larger engines. Design features provide a stress factor of +/- 6 G's. Electric start and foldable prop can be added to make the U-2 a truly remarkable soaring machine.
Don Mitchell felt that the basic U-2 design could be home-built by the average airplane buff in about 350 hours, with perhaps another 100 hours required for the paint job, interior appointments and other conveniences not essential to the plane's flight characteristics."
- Span: 10,36 m (34 ft)
- Wing area: 12,63 m2 (136 sq ft)
- Length: 2,74 m (9 ft)
- Empty weight: 145 kg (320 lbs)
- Payload: 159 kg (350 lbs)
- Seats: 1 +/- 4 g
- Conventional 3-axis steering
- Aspect Ratio: 8
- Cruise speed: 64 - 121 km/h (40-75 mph)
- Max. cruise speed (sea level): 153 km/h (95 mph)
- Fuel consumption: 4,5 - 7,5 l/h (1,2 - 2 gph)
- Glide ratio: 22
- Rate of climb: 183 km/h (600 fpm)
- (with Zenoah 250 engine)
- Ceiling: 3657m (12 000 ft)
- Stall Speed: 55 km/h (34 mph)
- Take off and landing: 76 m (250 ft)
Some prices (feb. 2004):
Plan: $140 (+$10 postage)
Kits:
Wings: $3850 (plus shipping)
"All wood pieces cut to size, 1mm plywood, foam
Tapered spars, spar bow material, metal for fittings
3 Tires, tube, brake
1 gal. T88 glue
Hardware [nuts, bolts, cables, etc]
Builder does final cutting and fitting"
Metal parts pre-made: $580
"Metal parts and fittings, Mixer-box, etc."
More info and plans at: http://home.earthlink.net/~mitchellwing/u2.html.
If you want to know more about the origin of this airplane. Go see the page about the
Mitchellwing hangglider that started it all. At the bottom of that page are a few Mitchellwing News Bulletins. Mostly about the B10. But some refer to the U2 as well.