Fauvel AV.50

The Fauvel AV.50 Lutin (English: Elf) (originally designated the AV.61) was a design for an unorthodox light aircraft produced in France in the 1970s. Like some other Charles Fauvel designs, it was a tailless aircraft with a reverse-delta wing. In this case, it was a single-seater intended to be powered by a converted Volkswagen engine. Only one example was known to have been under construction by 1977, in Australia.

Options for the builder included the use of a Rotax engine in place of the Volkswagen unit, and a choice of tandem, tailwheel, or tricycle undercarriage.

Specifications (as designed)

General characteristics

• Crew: One pilot
• Length: 4.10 m (13 ft 6 in)
• Wingspan: 7.50 m (24 ft 8 in)
• Wing area: 10.8 m² (116 ft²)
• Aspect ratio: 5.2
• Empty weight: 190 kg (420 lb)
• Gross weight: 330 kg (725 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Volkswagen automotive engine, 50 kW (67 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 190 km/h (118 mph)
• Endurance: 5 hours
• Rate of climb: 3.6 m/s (710 ft/min)

See also

Related lists

• List of gliders

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fauvel aircraft.

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 381.
• Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1977-78. London: Jane's Yearbooks. p. 489.