| Manuel VI Primary | |
|---|---|
| Role | Primary glider Type of aircraft |
| National origin | UK |
| Designer | W. L. Manuel |
| First flight | 30 August 1930 |
| Number built | 1 |
TheManuel VI Primary was a wire-bracedmonoplaneprimary glider designed and built by W L. (Bill) Manuel whilst serving in theRAF in 1930. It flew successfully but only one was built.
The Manuel Primary was a wooden aircraft built around an open, vertical, taperedgirder with a horizontal upper member and a lower one shaped at the front into a shallow keel. The girder was strengthened with a series of vertical and diagonal cross-pieces. The keel projected forward of the foremost vertical member and carried the pilot's seat on its upper edge. The thick-profile wing was attached to the upper part of the girder and was straight edged with constant chord apart from the angled tips of theailerons. Extensions of two of the forward girder cross-pieces formed a triangular structure over the wing which acted as aking post for a pair oflanding wires. Flying wires from the keel and the upper member about halfway to the rear of the girder carried the lifting loads on the wing. There were also bracing wires from wing to the rear of the aircraft to restrain horizontal bending of the girder. The rectangular tailplane was likewise fixed to the top of the girder and carriedelevators with a cut-out in which theall-moving rectangularrudder, which extended to the lower girder, could operate.[1][2]
The glider flew for the first time on 30 August 1930 atRAF Hawkinge inKent, where Corporal Manuel was based. He made many more flights in it[1] and other Channel Gliding Club pilots also flew it.[3] It was finally destroyed in a road accident in the way to a meeting nearBrighton in October 1930.[1]
Data from British Gliders and Sailplanes 1971 p.142[1]
General characteristics
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era