| Penkala Biplane | |
|---|---|
| |
| CA-10 replica of the 1910 Biplane | |
| Role | Pioneering aircraftType of aircraft |
| National origin | Croatia |
| Designer | Slavoljub Eduard Penkala |
| First flight | 22 June 1910 |
| Introduction | 1910 |
The 1910 Penkala Biplane also called the Leptir (English: Butterfly) was the first aircraft to fly in Croatia.
Design and development
The Leptir was a single engine, sesquiplane aircraft with conventional landing gear. The open girder fuselage provides an unusually long distance to the tail surfaces, compared to modern aircraft. The flat bottom surface of the fuselage was covered, forming a long thin triangular surface intended to provide lift, which was not functional in level flight. The aircraft was tail heavy with a center of gravity at 70 percent of wing chord.
Operational history
The first flight occurred on 22 June 1910 with pilot Dragutin Novak. The aircraft was crashed several months later.
Variants
- 1910 Biplane
- Original design
- 1910 Leptir II
- Modifications to include skids
- 2010 CA-10 Replica
- Replica aircraft - Powered by 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912 with the center of gravity moved forward for safety.
Specifications (Penkala Biplane)
Data from Sport Aviation
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 11 m (36 ft 1 in)
- Wingspan: 11 m (36 ft 1 in)
- Empty weight: 330 kg (728 lb)
- Propellers: 2-bladed
References
- "Homage to a Local Hero". Sport Aviation. June 2013.
External links
- YouTube Video about the flight of the replica
- Article about the aircraft
- Image of Leptir I DEAD LINK