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ITS-8

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Role Motor-glider
National origin Poland
Manufacturer Institute of gliding techniques (I.T.S.), University of Lwów
Designer Wieslaw Stępniewski
First flight late August 1936
Number built 2

The ITS-8 was a twin-boom motor glider

Design and development

In the mid-1930s there was growing Polish interest in low cost powered gliders and and other small, low powered, structurally simple aircraft. The Lwów University's Institute of Gliding Techniques studies of motor gliders was guided by FAi specifications for the new International Powered Glider Class and received funding from LOPP. the ITS-8 was designed to have a gliding performance competitive with contemporary intermediate and high performance unpowered machines. These specifications suggested a conventional glider nose and forward fuselage was required, hence a pusher engine and, to avoid pylon engine mountain. a twin-boom layout.[1]

The wooden ITS-8 had a high wing with an aspect ratio of 11, which was built around single box spar and a pywood-covered leading edge forming a torsion box. An auxiliary spar carried differential ailerons. The centre section, which was braced on each side with a pair of steel tube struts from the lower fuselage, was ply-covered overall but the outer wing was fabric covered behind the main spar.[1]

The ITS's pilot sat under the wing leading edge in an enclosed cockpit within an oval-section, ply-skinned nacelle which ended at the trailing edge engine mounting The nacelle had a sprung landing skid, a semi-retractable monowheel under the wing and a long leaf spring tailwheel. Its empennage was on twin box girder booms attached to the ends of the wing center-section.


[2]


Variants

ITS-8
First prototype.
ITS-8W
Second prototype, with more powerful engine and improved engine mounting
ITS-8M
Intended for meteorological research, with flaps and retractable landing gear, but unfinished at the start of World War II.

Specifications (ITS-)

Data from J. Cynk (1971)[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: One
  • Length: 6.4 m (21 ft 0 in)
  • Wingspan: 13.6 m (44 ft 7 in)
  • Wing area: 16.9 m2 (182 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 180 kg (397 lb)
  • Gross weight: 290 kg (639 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Koeber Kötter M3 flat twin engine, 13 kW (18 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed Zomanski, 1.36 m (4 ft 6 in) diameter wooden

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 120 km/h (75 mph, 65 kn) at sea level
  • Cruise speed: 110 km/h (68 mph, 59 kn)
  • Service ceiling: 1,500 m (4,900 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 1.3 m/s (260 ft/min)
  • Rate of sink: 0.91 m/s (179 ft/min) engine off
  • Landing speed: 45 km/h (28 mph; 24 kn)

References

  1. ^ a b c Cynk, Jerzy (1971). Polish Aircraft 1893-1939. London: Putnam Publishing. p. 651-4. ISBN 0 370 00085 4.
  2. ^ "ITS-8, 1936". Samolotypolskie.pl. Retrieved 13 May 2018.



Category:Twin boom aircraft Category:Pusher aircraft Category:Motor gliders Category:Polish sport aircraft 1930–1939