I.Ae. 41 Urubú
Fábrica Militar de Aviones · Argentina · first flew 1953 · glider
The I.Ae. 41 Urubú was a two-seat tailless flying-wing glider built in Argentina by the Fábrica Militar de Aviones in the 1950s. It was designed under Reimar Horten.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Tailless flying wing with no fuselage tail or fin |
| T — Tail | No tailplane |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Tailless flying wing with no fuselage tail or fin
- Side-by-side two-seat cockpit in a wooden airframe
- Tandem landing gear under the centre of the wing
A wooden flying wing of 18 m span with a leading edge swept back at about 26.6 degrees and a roomy side-by-side cockpit. It has no tail surfaces at all.
Specifications
- The I.Ae. 41 Urubú has a length of 4.4 m (14 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 18 m (59 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 200 km/h (124 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
In 1951 Argentine air clubs asked the Department of Aeronautics for a side-by-side two-seat sports glider, and its development went to the Instituto Aerotécnico in Cordoba. Professor Reimar Horten led the design team, working from his H.XVc project. The first flight was in 1953.
Variants
Production was limited to five aircraft. The type was similar in general layout to the earlier I.Ae. 34 Clen Antú but had a larger side-by-side cockpit.
Where you'll see it
In September 1956 an Urubú, towed by a Morane-Saulnier, took part in a crossing of the Andes from San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina to Paraje Ensenada in Chile; the flight lasted three hours. A surviving aircraft is displayed in the Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica at Morón.
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