Misplaced Pages

The Schweizer SA 1-30 was the first entry by Schweizer in the powered aircraft market.

Design and development

Schweizer developed a line of gliders starting in World War II. The 1-30 was not intended to be a motor glider, but rather a light aircraft utilizing some glider and sailplane technologies, common parts with other Schweizer designs and an affordable price as a result of using smaller powerplants. Removable wings, and the ability to be transported by trailer were also criteria for keeping airport-based hangar costs down.

The 1-30 shares the same wings and tail surfaces as the 1-26 glider. The fuselage is of aluminum construction with a welded steel tube tail structure. The wings are removable using the same design as the 1-26. The engine uses a cowling with exposed cylinders like a J-3 Cub for simplicity and cooling efficiency. Wing mounted spoilers were retained from the 1-26, allowing steep low-speed descents at about a 5:1 glide ratio. Three sets of wings were tested including a set from the model 2-31.

Operational history

Construction of the prototype was started in April 1958 and completed by August. The aircraft was tested as a glider aero-towing aircraft using a Schweizer SGU 2-22C. The single-place 1-30 was not intended to go into production, the two-place 2-31 was envisioned as the production model, but was also not produced beyond a single prototype.

Variants

SAU 1-30

The SA 1-30 modified with a 4 ft (122 cm) shorter wing and a fully cowled engine.

Specifications (Schweizer SA 1-30)

Data from Sport Aviation

General characteristics

• Capacity: 1
• Length: 20 ft 3 in (6.17 m)
• Wingspan: 40 ft (12 m)
• Wing area: 160 sq ft (15 m)
• Aspect ratio: 10
• Empty weight: 700 lb (318 kg)
• Gross weight: 1,100 lb (499 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Continental A65 , 65 hp (48 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 96 kn (110 mph, 180 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 87 kn (100 mph, 160 km/h)
• Stall speed: 33 kn (38 mph, 61 km/h)
• Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)

Related development Schweizer SA 2-31

References

1. ^ Schweizer, Paul A. (1998). Sailplanes by Schweizer: A History. England: Airlife. pp. 151–155. ISBN 1-84037-022-X.
2. Sport Aviation. March 1959. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. Soaring. November–December 1958. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
4. "The Aerosente Glider Workshop". Retrieved June 21, 2011.

• Homebuilt aircraft
• Schweizer aircraft
• Single-engined tractor aircraft
• Aircraft first flown in 1958