Replica 1929 Primary Glider
Role Glider
National origin United States
Designer Ron Sands Sr
Status Plans available (2014)
Number built 55 (1998)

The Sands Replica 1929 Primary Glider is an American high-wing, wire-braced single-seat, primary glider that was designed by Ron Sands Sr for amateur construction, with kits supplied by Wicks Aircraft Supply. The plans are now sold by Sands' son, Ron Sands Jr.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Design and development

Sands developed his replica 1929-style primary glider from the original designs of that era. He promotes it as "much safer than hang gliders or ultralights... [an] excellent project for school or clubs".[1]

The aircraft is made from wood, tube and doped aircraft fabric. Its 32 ft (9.8 m) span wing is cable-braced from a king post and employs a Clark Y airfoil. Like all primary gliders the cockpit is just a seat mounted on the keel with no windshield fitted. The landing gear is a fixed skid, fitted to the underside of the keel. The aircraft is designed to be bungee launched from a slope or auto-towed. The aircraft can be disassembled for storage or ground transportation.[1][2][5][6]

Sands estimates that construction takes 200 hours. In 2011 plans cost US$40 and included two 24" by 36" (60 X 90 cm) sheets, a materials list and "Safety Tips". In 2015 the available Wicks five part kit totaled US$7644.14.[1][2][4]

Variants

Plans for a steel tube fuselage version are also available.[1][2]

Specifications (1929 Primary Glider)

Data from Purdy, Sands and Wicks[1][2][4]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Length: 17.67 ft (5.39 m)
  • Wingspan: 32 ft (9.8 m)
  • Height: 7 ft (2.1 m)
  • Wing area: 157 sq ft (14.6 m2)
  • Airfoil: Clark Y
  • Empty weight: 175 lb (79 kg)
  • Gross weight: 375 lb (170 kg)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 45 mph (72 km/h, 39 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 38 mph (61 km/h, 33 kn)
  • Stall speed: 30 mph (48 km/h, 26 kn) clean

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, page 314. BAI Communications. ISBN 0-9636409-4-1
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Sands, Ron (June 2010). "Replica 1929 Primary Glider Plans". Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  3. ↑ Sands, Ron (June 2010). "Ron Sands Replicas". Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 Wicks Aircraft Supply (n.d.). "Aircraft Kits - Experimental Replica Primary Glider". Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Downey, Julia: 2002 Plans Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 19, Number 1, January 2002, page 28. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851
  6. 1 2 Downey, Julia: 2003 Plans Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 20, Number 1, January 2003, page 27. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
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