Photograph:
Mitchell Wing U-2 N582U on display at the Udvar Hazy Centre at Dulles Airport, USA (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Single-seat ultralight sport aircraft
Power Plant:
One 15 kw (20 hp) Komatsu Zenoah G-25 air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 10.36 m (34 ft)
- Length: 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 12.6 m² (135.63 sq ft)
- Cruising speed: 102 km/h (63 mph)
- Stalling speed: 42 km/h (26 mph)
- Max glide ratio at 72 km/h (45 mph): 20:1
- Rate of climb: 122 m/min (400 ft/min)
- Range: 290 km (180 miles)
- Fuel capacity: 11 litres (2.5 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 109 kg (240 lb)
- Loaded weight: 249 kg (550 lb)
History:
The Mitchell Wing U-2 was an ultralight design which was basically a flying wing with a small single-seat cockpit, a bubble canopy and a pusher engine and, designed by Donald Mitchell, was developed initially in 1980 as an experimental category motor glider. The U-2 was developed in the United States from the B-10. A later model became known as the Mitchell Super Wing US.
The aircraft was of wooden construction with aircraft fabric covering, the pilot sitting in the wing under a bubble canopy. An innovation in the design was what Mitchell called stabilators which were upside-down aerofoils that hung below the trailing wing edges. These provided download for pitch stability and doubled as combined elevators for pitch and ailerons for roll control. The rudders at the wingtips swung outward for directional control and, combined with the stabilators, provided the same three axis control as a conventional aircraft. Power was usually supplied by a 15 kw (20 hp) engine but larger engines could be installed, the stress factors being + / – 6G, and an electric starter and a folding propeller could be installed.
A number of engines could be installed, including variants of the Rotax series. The engine is mounted at the rear. A number have been registered in Australia under RAA ultralight regulations, including 10-0093 (c/n U601) with a KFM 107ER engine; 10-1357 (c/n U656) with a Skylark engine; and 10-0129 (c/n U566) also with a Skylark engine.