“Eipper Quicksilver”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

Quicksilver is a line of single and two-place high wing, single-engine, ultralight aircraft that evolved from weight-shift hang gliders including Bob Lovejoy's High Tailer.

The earliest powered version, the Quicksilver C, was created as a self-launching hang glider, designed to allow pilots who lived in the flatlands to be able to self-launch without a hill. The design later evolved into an ultralight aircraft for powered cross-country flying.^[1]

The aircraft line has been in production since the late 1970s and remains in production in 2018 by Quicksilver Aircraft of Temecula, California.^[2]^[3]

Design and development

Founded by Dick Eipper, Eipper Formance began manufacturing the early Bob Lovejoy-designed Quicksilver ultralights in the late 1970s when hang gliding was very popular. The Quicksilver hang gliders differed from most hang gliders of that time period in that the Quicksilver had a rigid rectangular wing and a tail with a horizontal stabilizer and a rudder. At that time, the majority of hang gliders were simple Rogallo wing-type hang gliders.^[1]

Eipper added a seat, wheels, and a small engine behind the wing of the hang glider, and the Quicksilver ultralight was born. This aircraft was controlled by pushing a bar forwards and backwards, and side to side, in the same way that hang gliders are controlled. This shifted the center of gravity of the aircraft and allowed the pilot to control the plane. Many pilots wanted an aircraft that was controlled with a stick and rudder, similar to the way "typical" light airplanes are controlled, so Eipper added rudder and elevator control surfaces to the Quicksilver ultralight, giving it two axes of control. This aircraft was called the Quicksilver MX. The high dihedral of the wings caused the plane to bank when the aircraft was turned with the rudder, but there was no direct means of controlling the roll axis of the airplane—the aircraft only rolled in response to the yaw axis. Pilots still wanted a true three-axis control ultralight, so Eipper added spoilerons. The spoilerons were only minimally effective, providing only a minimal amount of control over the roll axis. The next generation of MX had true ailerons which gave the aircraft full roll authority.{{Citation needed|date=September 2014}}

The single-seat Quicksilver MX not only complies with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules, but was in fact the aircraft around which the rules were developed. The Quicksilver was the most popular ultralight aircraft design when the regulations were first drafted in the early 1980s.^[4]

The Quicksilver MX evolved over the years. A two-seat model was added for training purposes, although the two-seater was not legally an ultralight. Eipper Formance changed their name to Eipper Aircraft and then Quicksilver Aircraft, and they are still in business, although they are not producing aircraft in the quantity that they were at the height of the ultralight craze in the mid 1980s.{{Citation needed|date=September 2014}}

The current production MX Sports and Sprints are built from anodized aluminum tubing that is fastened together with bolts. The wings and tail are covered with pre-sewn Dacron envelopes. Reported construction times from the kit are 30–40 hours.^[4]

Operational history

In the summer of 1982, Peter Burgher modified a Quicksilver MX-1 with longer wings, larger fuel tanks, and modified carburetor jets flew from Utica, Michigan to St. Petersburg, Florida on an endurance flight setting 56 world and national records.^[5]

{{anchor|Quicksilver MX-1}}Variants

Specifications (Quicksilver MX Sport)

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|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=54
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=50
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=24
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=65
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed kmh=
|minimum control speed mph=
|minimum control speed kts=
|minimum control speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=14000
|ceiling note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|glide ratio=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=900
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|sink rate ms=
|sink rate ftmin=
|sink rate note=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=
|thrust/weight=
|more performance=
|avionics=*none
}}

Comparable aircraft

References

1. ^¹²³Cliche, 2001, page E-29
2. ^{{Cite web|url =http://www.quicksilveraircraft.com|title = Quicksilver - The World's Largest Manufacturer of Sport Aircraft |accessdate = 18 November 2010|last = Quicksilver Aircraft|authorlink = |year = n.d.}}
3. ^¹Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 116. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
4. ^¹²³Cliche, 2001, page B-47
5. ^{{cite web|title=On Display: Peter Burgher's Record-Setting Quicksilver MX-1 |url=http://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/eaa-news-and-aviation-news/museum/2013-02-06-on-display-peter-burghers-record-setting-quicksilver-mx1|accessdate=29 August 2015}}
6. ^¹²³⁴Downey, Julia: 1999 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, pages 63-64. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
7. ^¹²³⁴Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, page 229-230. BAI Communications. {{ISBN|0-9636409-4-1}}
8. ^¹²³Downey, Julia: 2008 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 53. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
9. ^¹²³⁴Vandermeullen, Richard: 2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 67. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
10. ^¹Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. {{ISSN|1368-485X}}
11. ^¹²Cliche, 2001, page B-94
12. ^{{Cite web|url=http://www.quicksilveraircraft.com/SportIIS.html |title=The Sport 2S is the latest evolution in Quicksilver's open cockpit design. |accessdate=18 November 2010 |last=Quicksilver Aircraft |authorlink= |year=n.d. |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129045734/http://quicksilveraircraft.com/SportIIS.html |archivedate=29 November 2010 |df= }}
13. ^{{cite web|url = https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/gen_av/light_sport/media/SLSA_Directory.xlsx|title = SLSA Make/Model Directory|accessdate = 17 March 2017|last = Federal Aviation Administration|date = 26 September 2016}}
14. ^{{cite web|url = http://www.quicksilverultralight.com/aircraft/single_seat_sprint_spec_1.htm|title = Sprint Specifications|accessdate = 2009-11-05|last = Ultralight Aircraft of Iowa Website|authorlink = |year = n.d.}}