Applebay Sailplanes
TypePrivately held company
IndustryAerospace
PredecessorAero Tek
Foundedcirca 1978
FounderGeorge Applebay
FateDefunct circa 1984
Headquarters
Albuquerque, New Mexico
,
United States
ProductsSailplanes, motor gliders
OwnerGeorge Applebay

Applebay Sailplanes was an American aircraft manufacturer, founded by George Applebay and based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of sailplanes in the form of ready-to-fly type certified aircraft, as well as some experimental types.[1][2][3]

History

George Applebay's first sailplane design constructed was the Applebay GA-II Chiricahua, a wood and fabric glider for the FAI Standard Class that first flew in 1970. Only one Chiricahua was built. In 1975 he flew the prototype Applebay GA-111 Mescalero, a mixed metal and fiberglass FAI Open Class glider. The Mescalero was intended for production, but Applebay decided to concentrate on his next design, the all-fiberglass Zuni for the 15m class instead and only one Mescalero was completed. The Zuni was designed in 1975.[4][5][6]

Flight testing of the Zuni started in November 1976 and the aircraft was put into production by a new company Applebay formed for the purpose called Aero Tek. The aircraft was quite competitive in 1976 and placed well in regional competitions. A fatal accident, as a result of a structural failure, in May 1977 forced Aero Tek out of business in 1978, but a new company was formed to continue Zuni production, Applebay Sailplanes. The improved Zuni II, with Kevlar construction was introduced, but production ended in 1983 after only 20 Zunis in total had been completed, due to the lack of competitiveness of the design by that date and the high US dollar, that made competition with European imports difficult.[2][3][6]

The Applebay Zia twin-boom motor glider was introduced in 1983 but only four were built, including the prototype.[2][7]

In 2000, George Applebay was inducted into the Soaring Hall of Fame and went on to found the US Southwest Soaring Museum in Moriarty, New Mexico, which was conceived in 1995 and opened in 2006.[8] Applebay died in April 2015 at age 89.[9]

Aircraft

Summary of aircraft built by Applebay Sailplanes
Model name First flight Number built Type
Applebay Zuni 1977 20 15 metre class sailplane
Applebay Zia 1983 4 motor glider

References

  1. ↑ Activate Media (2006). "Manufacturers Details". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Said, Bob: 1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine, page 34, 48 and 133. Soaring Society of America November 1983. USPS 499-920
  3. 1 2 Simons, Martin. Sailplanes 1965-2000”. 2nd revised edition. EQIP Werbung und Verlag G.m.b.H.. Königswinter. 2005. ISBN 3-9808838-1-7
  4. ↑ Activate Media (2006). "Chiricahua GA-II Applebay". Archived from the original on August 29, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  5. ↑ Activate Media (2006). "Mescalero Applebay". Archived from the original on August 19, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Applebay Zuni II, National Air and Space Museum. Accessed 2010-11-05.
  7. ↑ Activate Media (2006). "Zia Applebay". Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  8. ↑ Staff (April 29, 2010). "Hall Inducts Two Aviation Legends". Mountain View Telegraph. Archived from the original on May 20, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  9. ↑ Kauh, Elaine (June 26, 2015). "Soaring Pioneer George Applebay Dies At 89". AVweb. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
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