Bonomi BS.15 Bigiarella
Aeronautica Bonomi · Italy · first flew 1934 · glider
The Bonomi BS.15 Bigiarella (Italian for lesser whitethroat), originally named the BS.6 Bigiarella, was a single-seat glider designed and built in Italy in 1934. Only three were constructed.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Rectangular-section, only slightly tapered fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing braced monoplane of wood and fabric
- Rectangular-section, only slightly tapered fuselage
- Open unscreened cockpit in front of and below the wing leading edge, with three sloping struts joining wing and fuselage
A wood-and-fabric high-wing glider with an open cockpit ahead of and below the wing, a boxy fuselage, and a deep wooden skid with a small tail bumper.
Specifications
- The Bonomi BS.15 Bigiarella has a length of 6.82 m (22 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 13.4 m (44 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Bigiarella was very similar to the BS.8 Biancone, using the same wings and support structure but with a new, full rectangular-section fuselage in place of the Biancone boom. The new deeper fuselage required a less tall fin, but the empennage was otherwise unchanged.
Variants
There were no other versions; the three-strut wing support was faired in on some aircraft and exposed on others.
Where you'll see it
In July 1934 a Bigiarella set an endurance record of 2 hours 50 minutes, flying at Vigne di Valle near Rome.
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- Bonomi BS.17 Allievo Cantù
- Bonomi BS.14 Astore
- Bonomi BS.4 Basettino
- Bonomi BS.16 Allievo Bonomi
- Addyman STG
- Aero A.200
- Aichi E10A
- Airspeed AS.8 Viceroy
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