Willoughby Delta 8
Willoughby Delta Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1939 · light aircraft
The Willoughby Delta 8, also called the Delta F, was a small twin-engined test aircraft for a proposed flying-wing airliner, the Delta 9. It looked at first sight like a conventional pod-and-twin-boom machine.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, delta |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.95 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Central glazed nacelle slung beneath the wing
- Long side wings acting as tail booms with a twin-finned tail
- Two inverted inline engines mounted under the wing in steel cradles
A wooden twin-engined aircraft with a short pod below a wide-chord wing and outer wing sections forming twin tail booms.
Specifications
- The Willoughby Delta 8 has a length of 7.95 m (26 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.52 m (35 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 295 km/h (183 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was built to investigate the general aerodynamics of the layout on a smaller scale, and first flew on 11 March 1939. It flew for a few months in 1939 before crashing.
Variants
There were no developments: the Delta 9 airliner was never built.
Where you'll see it
It was an experimental aircraft built of wood, with tandem seats for two in the central nacelle, and it was not used operationally.
Related aircraft
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