Airdisco Phi-Phi
The Aircraft Disposal Co. Ltd. · United Kingdom · first flew 1922 · glider
The Airdisco Phi-Phi was a single-seat monoplane glider designed for the first British gliding competition, held at Itford Hill in 1922. It was an endurance event.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, elliptical |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Rectangular fuselage and a low aspect ratio all-moving tailplane |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- All-wood parasol monoplane glider
- Wing with a gently curving leading edge, elliptical tips and straight trailing edge
- Rectangular fuselage and a low aspect ratio all-moving tailplane
The wing was thick enough for semi-cantilever construction, supported by two pairs of cabane struts and two lift struts. The cockpit sat just under the wing leading edge.
Specifications
- The Airdisco Phi-Phi has a length of 6.48 m (21 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 13.72 m (45 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Daily Mail offered a £1,000 prize in August 1922 for the longest duration unpowered flight, and competitors had six weeks to design, build and transport their entries. The Phi-Phi was competition number 27 and had the highest aspect ratio (13.6) of the Itford gliders.
Variants
Only one was built, so there were no variants.
Where you'll see it
Flown by Rex Stocken on 20 October 1922, it made one competition flight of 3 min 18 s. A second attempt the following afternoon ended in a crash.
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