The Midwest MU-1 was an American single-seat, high-wing , strut-braced utility glider that was designed by Arthur B. Schultz in the 1930s.[ 1]
Design and development
The MU-1 was designed by Schultz prior to the Second World War and was used by the United States Army Air Corps for glider training and designated as the Midwest TG-18 .[ 1] [ 2]
The MU-1 was constructed with a welded steel tube fuselage and a wooden-framed wings, all covered in doped aircraft fabric covering . The wing was of 36 ft (11.0 m) span, employed a NACA 4412 airfoil and was supported by two parallel struts with jury struts . Landing gear was a fixed monowheel.[ 1] [ 3]
The aircraft was type certified on 13 October 1944 and about six were completed by Midwest Sailplane and possibly also by the Motorless Flight Institute of Chicago, Illinois .[ 1] [ 3]
Operational history
In 1983 Soaring Magazine reported that two MU-1s were still in existence, but in October 2015 only one was on the Federal Aviation Administration registry.[ 1] [ 4]
Variants
MU-1
Standard model with 36 ft (11.0 m) wingspan and 172 sq ft (16.0 m2 ) wing area[ 1]
MU-1 long-wing
Version with a longer span, double-tapered wing of similar wing area. This model may have been a proposal only as completed examples have not been confirmed.[ 1]
Schultz ABC
Developed from the MU-1, the ABC has a longer wingspan and higher glide ratio . It won the 1937 Eaton Design Competition[ 1]
TG-18
Military designation for impressed MU-1 gliders used for glider pilot training.
Operators
Military
Specifications (MU-1)
Data from Soaring and Glider Type Certificate 16[ 1] [ 3]
General characteristics
Crew: one
Wingspan: 36 ft 0 in (10.97 m)
Wing area: 172 sq ft (16.0 m2 )
Aspect ratio : 7.5:1
Airfoil : NACA 4412
Empty weight: 323 lb (147 kg)
Gross weight: 513 lb (233 kg)
Performance
Never exceed speed : 80 mph (130 km/h, 70 kn)
Maximum glide ratio: 15:1 at 36 mph (58 km/h)
Rate of sink: 174 ft/min (0.88 m/s) at 30 mph (48 km/h)
Wing loading: 3 lb/sq ft (15 kg/m2 )
See also
Related lists
References
External links
Civil aircraft designations USAAC aircraft designations
USAAC/USAAF sequences (1924–1947)
Assault glider Bomb glider Cargo glider Fuel glider Powered glider Training glider
1948 USAF redesignations Tri-Service sequence (1962–present) 1 Not assigned