Air-Britain Archive 2-1997

The Lanier Slow-Flight Aeroplanes, 1928-1960

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  The younger Lanier developed the last design under the less controversial name of the Lanier Paraplane, and after the war he formed a company to build it, the Lanier Aircraft Corporation of Marlton, New Jersey. The first model had many similarities to its immediate predecessor and was clearly related to it, but whereas Vacuplane No. 6 looked a bit like a homebuilt, Paraplane No.1 was clearly professionally manufactured. It was registered N9060H and first flew in 1949.
  It had a new feature, six sets of controllable vanes in the upper and lower wing surfaces which could be closed for cruising flight and opened for take-off and landing. When open they directed air from beneath the wing into an internal venturi passage and out over the top surface, providing high lift at low speeds. Wing span and fuselage length were both 20 ft and gross weight was 800 lbs. The engine was a 90 hp Continental C-90 flat four, the speed range was given as 120 mph down to 30 mph and it was claimed that no-one had been able to stall it.
  The Lanier Aircraft Corporation spent 3 years testing and modifying the Paraplane before releasing information on the Paraplane II, still as N9060H and still with the 90 hp Continental engine. However this had been moved forward 2 ft to allow a second seat to be fitted behind the pilot's position for test purposes but with no extra windows. A taller fin and rudder was introduced to counteract the additional forward side area and the additional yawing moment from the greater distance of the propeller forward of the C of G. Wing span was 20 ft 6 in. and the trailing edges of the wings inboard of the ailerons had been converted to large area plain flaps in four sections. These reduced the minimum speed and steepened the angles of climb and descent. On the fuselage appeared the words "Every Field an Airport".
  It was claimed that the Paraplane II was able to take-off in 129 ft on soft ground and in under 100 ft from a concrete surface, needing only 300 ft to clear a 50 ft obstacle both on take-off and landing. Rate of climb was 1225 ft/min. Descent angle, throttle closed, was between 38 and 42 degrees and minimum speed was 19 mph. There was no doubt that Edward Lanier had succeeded in obtaining the low speed behaviour and performance that his father had aimed at and the next step was production. He said that the arrangements had almost been completed for the construction of a two-storey factory in Pennsylvania and that he expected to be able to produce a production version for $5000.
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