- Design and development
- Testing and evaluation
- Specifications (Planet Satellite)
- References Notes Bibliography
- External links
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}| name = Satellite | image = Planet Satellite.jpg | caption =Planet Satellite during testing }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type | type = Light aircraft | manufacturer = Planet Aircraft Ltd. | designer =Major Dundas Heenan | first flight = April 1949 | introduced =Cancelled | retired =1958 | produced = | number built = 1 (second prototype abandoned) | status = Experimental | unit cost = | primary user = | more users = | developed from = | variants with their own articles = Firth Helicopter (fuselage used)
}} |
The Planet Satellite was a British light aircraft of the late 1940s. Designed to exploit new technology, the aircraft was abandoned after two crashes although the innovative fuselage was later incorporated into a helicopter prototype. {{TOC limit|limit=2}}Design and developmentThe Planet Satellite designed by Major J.N. Dundas Heenan was a futuristic looking four-seater built of magnesium alloy in a true monocoque "teardrop" shaped fuselage with no internal reinforced structure.[1] The Satellite was powered by a 250 hp de Havilland Gipsy Queen 31 mounted amidships driving a two-blade Aeromatic "pusher" airscrew in the tail.[2] Other notable features included "butterfly" tails and a retractable tricycle undercarriage, with the nosewheel retracting into a reinforced keel that ran the length of the underside of the fuselage.[3] Breaking with conventional design and manufacturing conventions, Heenan declared in the July 1948 Aviation News issue, that the 400 drawings made were in stark contrast with the standard of approximately 3,000 drawings required for a project of that complexity.[4] Financing for the Satellite was equally novel with a partnership established with the Distillers Company Ltd. (makers of Gordon's Gin and Black Label Whisky) wherein the Planet Aircraft Company operated as a subsidiary of a liquor company.[5] Built in the Robinson Redwing factory at Croydon, Purley Way, Surrey in 1947, the first prototype was taken to Redhill in 1948. The sleek light aircraft appeared at the S.B.A.C show at Farnborough in September 1948 and received the registration G-ALOI in April 1949. Testing and evaluationThe Chief Test Pilot at RAE Farnborough, Group Captain H.J. Wilson (holder of the World speed Record in the Gloster Meteor), after several long runs down the runway, managed to get the Satellite airborne at Blackbushe. The first "hop" was followed by the collapse of the undercarriage. After repairs, the prototype was flown off the ground and after reaching an altitude of barely 20 ft was put down on the ground gently but nonetheless, the main keel had been cracked by the force of the landing. The conclusion of the Air Registration board investigating the "accident" was that the aircraft was badly under-stressed and would necessitate a complete redesign.[6] The manufacturers had already begun the production of a second prototype and despite an investment of £100,000, chose to wind down the program with no further attempts to fly the Planet Satellite. The second prototype, registered G-ALXP was abandoned but the completed fuselage was incorporated into the Firth Helicopter, built in 1952 at Thame. The single "flying" Satellite languished at Redhill until 1958 when it was unceremoniously broken up.[7] Specifications (Planet Satellite){{Aircraft specs
|ref=Heavenly Body[8]
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=1
|capacity=3 passengers
|length m=
|length ft=26
|length in=3
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=33
|span in=6
|span note=
|upper span m=
|upper span ft=
|upper span in=
|upper span note=
|mid span m=
|mid span ft=
|mid span in=
|mid span note=
|lower span m=
|lower span ft=
|lower span in=
|lower span note=
|swept m=
|swept ft=
|swept in=
|swept note=
|dia m=
|dia ft=
|dia in=
|dia note=
|width m=
|width ft=
|width in=
|width note=
|height m=
|height ft=9
|height in=3
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=153
|wing area note=
|swept area sqm=
|swept area sqft=
|swept area note=
|volume m3=
|volume ft3=
|volume note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=NACA 23000 series
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=1,600
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=2,905
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|lift kg=
|lift lb=
|lift note=
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=de Havilland Gipsy Queen
|eng1 type=Inline piston
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=220
|eng1 shp=
|eng1 kn=
|eng1 lbf=
|eng1 note=
|power original=
|thrust original=
|eng1 kn-ab=
|eng1 lbf-ab=
|eng2 number=
|eng2 name=
|eng2 type=
|eng2 kw=
|eng2 hp=
|eng2 shp=
|eng2 kn=
|eng2 lbf=
|eng2 note=
|eng2 kn-ab=
|eng2 lbf-ab=
|eng3 number=
|eng3 name=
|eng3 type=
|eng3 kw=
|eng3 hp=
|eng3 shp=
|eng3 kn=
|eng3 lbf=
|eng3 note=
|eng3 kn-ab=
|eng3 lbf-ab=
|more power=
|prop blade number=
|prop name=
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop dia note=
|rot number=
|rot dia m=
|rot dia ft=
|rot dia in=
|rot area sqm=
|rot area sqft=
|rot area note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=208
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|max speed mach=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=191
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|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=1,000
|range nmi=
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range miles=
|combat range nmi=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=22,000
|ceiling note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|glide ratio=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=1,450
|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=
|disk loading kg/m2=
|disk loading lb/sqft=
|disk loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=
|thrust/weight=
|more performance=
|armament=
|guns=
|bombs=
|rockets=
|missiles=
|hardpoints=
|hardpoint capacity=
|hardpoint rockets=
|hardpoint missiles=
|hardpoint bombs=
|hardpoint other=
|avionics=
}}ReferencesNotes1. ^Middleton 1983, p. 528.
2. ^Air Progress, November 1978, p. 18.
3. ^Middleton 1983, p. 528.
4. ^Middleton 1983, p. 529.
5. ^Middleton 1983, p. 530.
6. ^Middleton 1983, p. 530.
7. ^Middleton 1983, p. 531.
8. ^Middleton 1983, p. 530.
Bibliography{{Refbegin}}- Gunston, Bill. Back to the Drawing Board: Aircraft That Flew But Never Took Off. London: Zenith Imprint, 1996. {{ISBN|0-7603-0316-9}}.
- Middleton, Don. "Heavenly Body". Aeroplane Monthly Vol. 11, No. 10, Issue: no, 128, October 1983.
{{Refend}}External links- Secret projects UK
- Whisky business: The strange story of the Planet Satellite
- [https://books.google.com/books?id=QCgDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA92&dq=popular+science+1930&hl=en&ei=AnvcTt6DBMePgwfR96XpDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFYQ6AEwCThu#v=onepage&q&f=true "Plane Resembles Torpedo."] Popular Science, August 1948, p. 92, bottom of page.
Print Publication Mechanix Illustrated January 1949, p. 80 title "Tail-Prop Plane" 4 : British civil utility aircraft 1940–1949|Low-wing aircraft|Single-engined pusher aircraft|Aircraft first flown in 1949 |