Lie-Fang 1

Tchan-Tia-Kou manufacturing centre · China · first flew 1958 · glider

The Lie-Fang 1 (Liberation 1) was one of the first gliders designed and built in China, though with Polish design input. It is an all-wood, two-seat intermediate training glider.

Recognition (WEFT)

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Spot it by:

• Two-seat wooden glider with pupil and instructor in tandem, mostly ahead of the wing leading edge
• Fixed forward canopy reaching almost to the nose, with a rear section that opens sideways
• Flat-sided fuselage with a straight tapered tailplane mounted on top, forward of the fin

The wing is straight tapered with unswept leading edges, giving 2 degrees of forward sweep at quarter chord, with 4 degrees of dihedral. It lands on a fixed monowheel under the wing, with a short rubber-sprung nose skid and a tail bumper.

Specifications

• The Lie-Fang 1 has a length of 8 m (26 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 15 m (49 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 165 km/h (103 mph).
• Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Its design was led by the Pole J. Niespal, assisted by two Chinese engineers, using the 1953 SZD-12 Mucha 100 as a starting point. It first flew on 10 May 1958.

Variants

Compared with the Mucha it was longer, with a much modified nose, more strongly forward-swept wings, a simpler flat-sided fuselage and a more angular tail.

Where you'll see it

It went into production and was used as an intermediate trainer, preparing students for their first solo flights in Chinese-built Mucha 100s. It was cleared for cloud flying and classed as semi-aerobatic.

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• Aero Commander 500
• Antonov A-11
• Antonov A-13
• Auster J/1U Workmaster

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