Flight Dynamics Flightsail VII
Flight Dynamics · United States · first flew 1970 · light aircraft
The Flight Dynamics Flightsail VII was a recreational amphibian marketed in the United States in the 1970s for homebuilding by Flight Dynamics, Inc. It was designed by Thomas H. Purcell Jr.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Pod-and-boom fuselage with integral pontoons |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Pod-and-boom fuselage with integral pontoons
- Engine on struts above the fuselage pod
- Strut-braced high monoplane wing in Stage III
A thick airfoil-shaped pod fuselage with pontoons, a podded engine on struts above it and a high strut-braced wing.
Specifications
- The Flight Dynamics Flightsail VII has a length of 7.62 m (25 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.89 m (39 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 153 km/h (95 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It first flew in October 1970. It was intended to be built in three stages, each a flyable aircraft of increasing complexity, capability and cost.
Variants
Stage I was a pod fuselage with a flexible hang-glider-like wing, towed aloft by a speedboat. Stage II added a 90 to 125 hp engine on struts above the pod, and Stage III replaced the flexible wing with a conventional strut-braced high monoplane wing.
Where you'll see it
It was sold in the 1970s as a plan for amateur construction.
Related aircraft
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