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Specifications

• Span 18.59 m./ 61.0 ft
• Area 21.37 sq. m. / 230 sq.ft.
• Aspect ratio 16.18
• Airfoil Wortmann FX-05-H-126
• Empty weight 82 kg. / 181 lb.
• Payload 79 kg. / 175 lb.
• Gross weight 161 kg. / 356 lb.
• Wing loading 7.53 kg. / sq. m. / 1.55 lb. / sq. ft.
• Structure aluminum spar, wood and kevlar wing, balsa/GFRP sandwich fuselage. 

Performance

• L/D max. 33
• Min. sink 0.32 m/s / 1.05 fps / 0.62 kt

Other

• Country of origin USA
• Designer D.F. Farrar Jr.
• No. of seats 1
• No. built 1
• No. in the U.S. 1

Farrar’s design, which first flew in 1969, was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and used at Vanderbilt University in bird flight research, taking advantage of its low operating speed and sink rate. The design goals were a stalling speed of 32 kph/ 17 kt/ 20 mph a 1 fps sink rate. The airfoil is a helicopter section with a zero pitching moment permitting moderate torsional loads in spite of the large wing area. Despite the low sink rate, the Bird Flight Machine has no approach control aids making landing challenging in most conditions. It is now proposed to conduct further exploration of its design capabilities and microlift soaring techniques under the supervision of Gary Osoba.

Farrar V-1 flying Wing

Specifications

• Span 7.92 m./ 26.0 ft
• Area 8.36 sq. m. / 90.0 sq. ft.
• Aspect ratio 7.51
• Airfoil Northrop mod.
• Empty weight 79 kg. / 175 lb.
• Payload 79 kg. / 175 lb.
• Gross weight 158 kg. / 350 lb.
• Wing loading 18.90 kg. / sq. m. / 3.89 lb. / sq. ft.
• Structure metal, wood and fabric

   

Performance

• L/D max. 36
• Min. sink 0.61 m/s / 2.4 fps / 1.42 kt

Other

• Country of origin USA
• Designer D.F. Farrar Jr.
• No. of seats 1
• No. built 1
• No. in the U.S. 1

The V-1 is a scaled down version of the bomber and transport flying wing prototypes. Which were produced by Northrop near and shortly after the end of World War II. It differs from these by the addition of a vertical tail surface. Control of both pitch and roll is accomplished by rotating wingtips which make up 0.61 m. / 2 ft. of the span. The pilot is located in a prone position within the wing root.

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