M.Hardy. Gliders & Sailplanes of the world

Corcoran 65-1

  One of the very few biplane motor gliders, the 65-1 was designed and built by R. S Corcoran, an experienced sailplane pilot who was also the president of a company bearing his name which manufactured centrifugal pumps and other ДальшеMore>>> products. The 65-1 single-seater first flew in prototype form in October 1965, the powerplants being two 8hp West Bend 820 single-cylinder go-kart engines mounted on small booms extending from aft of the cockpit, and driving two-blade fixed-pitch pusher propellers. Construction is all-metal, the single-spar wings having aluminium skinning and unbalanced piano-hinged ailerons; the upper wing has flaps along 60% of its span which can be lowered to four positions, the maximum deflection being 35°. There is a single interplane strut and bracing strut on each side. The slab-sided fuselage is built up from aluminium extrusions and is also covered with aluminium; the landing gear consists of a monowheel mounted in an under-fuselage fairing, a steerable tailwheel and two small outrigger balancing wheels under the lower wings below the interplane struts - these are actually Sears ball-bearing lawnmower wheels. The pilot sits under a single-framed cockpit canopy that hinges to port for entry and exit. The prototype 65-1 had a wing area of 100sq ft and was followed by a second prototype with a wing area increased to 180sq ft and two engines mounted inboard in the fuselage and driving belt-driven propellers mounted on outriggers.


Data: First Prototype
Span: 26 ft 0 in
Length: 18 ft 6 in
Height: 5 ft 0 in
Wing area: 100 sqft
Aspect ratio: 13.0
Empty weight: 364 lb
Max weight: 550 lb
Max speed: 100 mph (power on)
Cruising speed: 67 mph
Take-off run: 500 ft
Range: 140 miles