Land Baden-Württemberg

The AmEagle American Eaglet was a highly unorthodox ultralight sailplane marketed in the U.S. for homebuilding. It was a one-seat, high-wing braced monoplane that carried an inverted V-tail on a long boom extending from a pod-like fuselage. Intended for self-launching, it was equipped with a McCulloch go-kart engine and a folding propeller behind the cabin. Its first flight was on 19 November 1975, and by 1978, at least 250 sets of plans had been sold, with 12 aircraft reportedly completed.

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1982-83^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 16 ft (4.9 m)
• Wingspan: 36 ft (11 m)
• Height: 3 ft (0.91 m)
• Wing area: 72 sq ft (6.7 m²)
• Aspect ratio: 18
• Empty weight: 160 lb (73 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 360 lb (163 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 2 litres
• Powerplant: 1 × McCulloch MC-101B two-stroke, single-cylinder engine, 12.2 hp (9.1 kW)
• Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

• Stall speed: 38 mph (61 km/h, 33 kn)
• g limits: +4.4/-2.2
• Rate of climb: 450 ft/min (2.3 m/s) at sea level
• Wing loading: 5 lb/sq ft (24 kg/m²)

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Birdman TL-1
• Pterodactyl Ascender
• Eipper Quicksilver
• Mitchell U-2 Superwing
• Stanton Sunbird, a motor glider which utlised American Eaglet components
• Ultraflight Lazair
• Zenair Zipper

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.
• The Rigid Wing Web Site
• Gliding and Motorgliding International