The Lamson PL-1 Quark was an American high-wing, single-seat,[1] glider that was designed and constructed by Philip Lamson, first flying in early 1965.[1][2]
| PL-1 Quark | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Glider |
| National origin | United States |
| Designer | |
| Status | Production completed |
| Number built | one |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1964 |
| First flight | 1965 |
Design and development
editLamson designed and built the Quark in 1964 as a lighthearted experimental aircraft project to create a prone position-pilot glider. To this end the pilot was accommodated lying down with his head in the nose bubble.[1]
The PL-1 is constructed from fiberglass, with the wings made from a balsa-fiberglass sandwich that was laid up in a female mold. The wing was originally of 20 ft (6.1 m) span, but this was quickly increased to 30 ft (9.1 m) with tip extensions and finally the aircraft received a new 40 ft (12.2 m) three-piece wing. The airfoil was an Irv Culver modification to the NACA 0012. The landing gear was a monowheel, with small wing tip skids.[1]
Soaring Magazine described the aircraft as "purely a lark and a quirky lark at that". The designer described the performance as "somewhere between a Nimbus and a Rogallo".[1]
Only one Quark was built and it was registered with the US Federal Aviation Administration in the Experimental - amateur-built category.[1][2]
Operational history
editSpecifications (Quark)
editData from Soaring[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Length: 10 ft (3.0 m)
- Wingspan: 40 ft (12 m)
- Wing area: 88.89 sq ft (8.258 m2)
- Aspect ratio: 18:1
- Airfoil: Irv Culver modification to the NACA 0012
- Empty weight: 340 lb (154 kg)
- Gross weight: 504 lb (229 kg)
Performance
- Wing loading: 5.67 lb/sq ft (27.7 kg/m2)
See also
editAircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Farrar V-1 Flying Wing - another prone position glider
- Miller M-5 Belly Flopper
- O'Neill Pea Pod
Related lists