Payen Arbalète
Fléchair SA · France · first flew 1965 · light aircraft
The Payen Arbalète (Crossbow) was a small, pusher-engined, tailless experimental French aircraft designed by Nicolas Roland Payen.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, delta |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, tail-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Short fuselage ending in a pusher engine and propeller |
| T — Tail | No tailplane |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Tailless low-wing layout resembling a cropped double delta in plan
- Swept fins at the outer end of the strongly swept centre section
- Short fuselage ending in a pusher engine and propeller
A tailless low-wing aircraft with a very broad swept centre section, swept fins and rudders mid-span, and a pusher propeller at the end of a short fuselage.
Specifications
- The Payen Arbalète has a length of 6.2 m (20 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.25 m (27 ft).
- Typical crew: 2-3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The first version, the Pa.60, made its first flight on 5 June 1965 with a 105 hp Hirth engine. After cooling and undercarriage problems were resolved it flew as the Pa.61B, which proved underpowered.
Variants
The Pa.61F Arbalète II was a new machine powered by a 180 hp Lycoming O-360, with different fins and a cockpit large enough for three.
Where you'll see it
It was an experimental type and two were built.
Related aircraft
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