| XV-8 "Fleep" | |
|---|---|
 XV-8 "Fleep" tested in the Full Scale Tunnel at Langley, 1962 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Experimental STOL aerial utility vehicle |
| Manufacturer | Ryan Aeronautical Company |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 1961 |
The Ryan XV-8 Flexible Wing Aerial Utility Vehicle (nicknamed Fleep, short for "Flying Jeep") was an improved version of the Flex-Wing. Both aircraft were built by Ryan Aeronautical Company in collaboration with NASA for the United States Air Force and the United States Army and tested in 1961 as a STOL patrol, reconnaissance, and light utility aircraft to transport people or freight when a more specialized aircraft is not required or available.
Design and development
The Fleep began as the Flex-Wing. The Flex-Wing had four-wheel landing gear, a smaller nose section behind which the pilot sat, and a single vertical tail/rudder.
The Fleep had tricycle landing gear, a larger nose section and a V tail/rudder. The wing was a fabric delta-shaped Rogallo wing with a foldable frame; the wing was attached to a pod-like cockpit on a four-wheeled cargo platform. It was tested with two tail configurations — vertical fin and V-tail. The aircraft wing could be folded into a relatively small package for transport.
Specifications
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General characteristics
- Crew: One pilot
- Length: 10 ft 6 in (5.94 m)
- Wingspan: 33 ft 5 in (10.18 m)
- Powerplant: 1 × Continental IO-360-A , 210 hp (157 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 65 mph (105 km/h, 56 kn)
- Range: 120 mi (193 km, 100 nmi)
See also
- Francis Rogallo's airfoil
- John W. Dickenson
- History of hang gliding
- Ultralight trike aircraft
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References
- Folding frame for transport
- Specifications
- Specifications Archived 2007-08-17 at the Wayback Machine
- DCIT performance report, 1964
- January 1965 performance report
External links
| Aircraft produced by Ryan Aeronautical and Ryan Airline Company | |
|---|---|
| Ryan Airline Company | |
| Commercial | |
| Fighters | |
| Observation | |
| Trainers | |
| Drones/Missiles | |
| Experimental/ Research | |
| United States STOL and VTOL aircraft designations | |
|---|---|
| Original sequence (1954-1962) | |
| Tri-service sequence (1962-present) | |
| Not assigned • Assigned to multiple types • Unofficial | |