BRYAN AIRCRAFT, INC.
Williams County Airport, P. O. Box 488
Bryan, Ohio 43506
HP-14 Newsletter No. 4
October 24, 1967
Dear Builder:
We have decided to put out a Standard Class HP-14 which will be known as the HP-14S.
The span will be 15 meters with ribs spaced at 8 inches instead of 9 inches as on the present HP-14. A fixed wheel, lighter spar and .025 skin will permit a weight reduction of about 50 lbs. And will hold the wing loading to 5 lbs. per sq. ft. Dive brakes will be the same simple flap with the top surface extended forward to act as a spoiler to comply with Standard Class Regulations.
T-Tail kits will be available as an option to the V-tail in future kits. No improvement in performance is expected. Cost will be $100 extra.
Because of delays in getting drawings out, we have put another draftsman on the HP-14 project. Prints of the control system, canopy and other small details should be out soon.
Some minor changes are going to be made in future HP-14s in the cockpit area to give more pilot room and permit a more convenient installation of the instrument panel and pedestal. Builders who have not yet installed any structure between No. 1 and No. 5 bulkheads can incorporate the new configuration if they desire.
A new trailer design is being drawn up and prints will be available by November 1st. It will be front loading, will taper up one foot at the bottom and down one foot at the rear for better clearance, less weight and less wind load. Construction is simpler and lighter. About 50 man-hours and $350 worth of materials are required for assembly and painting.
Two other projects are planned for this winter as time permits.
One is a two place, side-by-side seating HP-14 which will offer the best performance of any known two seater.
The other is a jet prop which we hope will prove to be the ideal engine for self-launching sailplanes.
Two safety items which should be carefully checked after each reassembly of HP-14s are as follows:
1. Tail surfaces of an HP-14 were installed in England with one elevator driver left outside its mating pocket. A hasty launch without checking control movements put the ship into the air without elevator or rudder control. A quick release, a cartwheel and a groundloop on the runway followed in quick succession. A dent in the nose, a lost wing tip skid and a bent tail wheel resulted but it could have been worse. It is possible this same problem could arise if tail surfaces are folded too far while loading or unloading in the trailer, so always run a control surface check upon reassembling your sailplane.
2. Aileron push pull tube fittings may loosen during trailer transport of the sailplane so always make sure the lock nuts are secure and check ailerons for proper alignment when the wings are remounted on the fuselage.
One other safety item is that the tow release, when held all the way back, will prevent movement of the stick for left aileron. The solution to this problem is to install a bolt in the release mechanism to limit aft movement of the release arm to only the amount necessary to permit the hitch to rotate.
Seventy HP-14s are now finished or under construction. Present plans call for ten of them to be flown in the 1968 International Gliding Championships in Leszno, Poland.
Sincerely yours,
BRYAN AIRCRAFT, INC.
R. E. Schreder
RES:as
(Article courtesy of Alex Upchurch, who is co-owner of HP-14 #12, C-FWHZ)