Wright Falcon
Peter Wright · United Kingdom · first flew 1979 · glider
The Wright Falcon was a single-seat Standard Class glider designed and built by the British engineer Peter Wright in the late 1970s.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Mono-wheel undercarriage and a detachable canopy on a fuselage moulded in two halves |
| T — Tail | V-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- V-tail with an included angle of 80 degrees
- Cantilever monoplane wing of slightly tapered planform and 15 m span
- Mono-wheel undercarriage and a detachable canopy on a fuselage moulded in two halves
A slim fibreglass glider with a mid-mounted long wing and a distinctive V-tail, landing on a single mono-wheel.
Specifications
- The Wright Falcon has a length of 5.94 m (19 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15 m (49 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Wright, who had previously built two human-powered aircraft, intended a light and simple glider that could be made within a few months. Design began in 1975 and the glider was built mostly of composites and fibreglass.
Variants
Two split-flap airbrakes were fitted to the trailing edge of the wing. It was reported that Wright might offer kits for amateur construction, but this does not seem to have happened.
Where you'll see it
It first flew on 16 September 1979 at Saltby Airfield, flown by Brian Spreckley, and was certified for semi-aerobatic and cloud flying in March 1980. It was based at the Buckminster Gliding Club.
Related aircraft
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