|
The B-10 is a product that wears many hats.
It can be enjoyed as a foot-launched hang
glider, an Ultra-Light, or an Ultra-Light
Motor Glider. And because it can be assembled
and torn down in less than 15 minutes,
towed with a small trailer, hauled in
a pickup truck or even packed on and in
a station wagon, operational costs are
kept to a minimum. When the B-10 needs
to be relocated, you just fold up the
8.5 foot outboard panels on top of the
center section. Or they may be removed
if desired. Three pins connect each outboard
panel to the center section. Quick release
pins connect the cage to the main wing
body and the rudders are attached to their
tube seats with removable bolts. Within
minutes the B-10 is apart and ready to
be stored in your garage. No tie-down
fees or hangar rent.
The B-10 wing is based on NACA's 230-15
airfoil. It has been described as the
finest ever developed for good lift and
inherent stability. It's a well-proven
design, judging from the testimonial of
its many records and trophie.
It was back in the early 1940's that Don
Mitchell first became involved with flying
wing glider design and construction. But
WWII interrupted his research and experiments.
The War's specific needs for large payload
capacity and space ruled out the flying
wing design and Mitchell's vision lost
its place in aviation history. Then in
1974, with the advent of hang glider mania,
the Mitchell Wing resurfaced. It was at
that time Dr. Howard Long took an interest
in the half-forgotten project and asked
Mitchell to make him a flying wing hang
glider. The result was the foot-launched
Mitchell Wing and it astounded the world
of hang gliding. George Worthington, holder
of eight world records in hang gliding
and author of the book In Search of World
Records, wrote in the book..."I predict
that the Mitchell Wing will be the highest
performance foot-launced hang glider we'll
see for a long time." He was right
and it was from this preliminary design
that Mitchell developed his later powered
models. The B-10 and U-2 Superwing.
The leading edge of the Mitchell Wing
has a single built-up "D" spar
with aircraft birch plywood torsion proof
leading edge. Foam ribs placed every 4.5
inches hold the D shape. The built-up
truss ribs aft of the spar are covered
with fabric. This structural design is
simple, extremely strong and light. Net
weight is under 80 lbs.
In the B-10 the pilot is positioned inside
an open-frame cockpit below the wing and
controls the flight of the wing through
the use of a "joystick", just
like a regular sailplane. The STABILATORS
give the wing stabililty, with pitch and
roll control. Wing-tip rudders, sensitive
to a bar under the feet, are used to initiate
a turn and to steepen the glide path for
landing. Thus the pilot has aerodynmaic
control about all three axes. Ignition
and throttle are conveniently located
near the left hand and the joystick reaches
down from the wing toward the pilot's
right hand. The cushioned "bucket"
style seat puts the ultralight pilot in
the familiar supine position and offers
him superb visibility to the front, sides
and rear.
The extremely flat glide and low sink
of the B-10 allows the plane to be used
for soaring. The 8.5 foot outboard wing
panels turn up in a 6 degree dihedral.
This, added to the main wing-body's 12
degree sweep back, gives the Mitchell
Wing the stability one would normally
suspect might be missing due to its lack
of a tail. B-10's have taken off and landed
in "no wind" conditions. They
have also flown in extreme turbulence,
taking off with winds gusting 30-37 miles
per hour.
According to FAA regulations the B-10,
being a true Ultralight, requires no pilot's
certificate to fly, although U.S. Pacific
will not sell a plane to a customer who
cannot demonstrate a basic knowledge of
flight training.
Because no pilot's certificate is required
to fly a B-10, no medical is necessary
and there is no need for aircraft registration.
This opens the door for people who would
not normally be able to experience the
thrill of flying an aircraft.
So what are you waiting for? Take to the
air in the best --a Mitchell Wing B-10!
Back to Top
|
