View source for RFB/Grumman American Fanliner

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{|{{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=Fanliner
| image=RFB Fanliner D-EJFL LEB 07.06.75 edited-3.jpg
| caption=
}}{{Infobox aircraft type
| type=[[Experimental aircraft|Experimental]] [[light aircraft]]
| national origin=[[Germany]]
| manufacturer=[[Rhein-Flugzeugbau]]
| designer=
| first flight=8 October 1973
| introduced=
| retired=
| status=
| primary user=
| more users= <!--Limited to three in total; separate using <br /> -->
| produced= <!--years in production-->
| number built=2
| program cost= <!--Total program cost-->
| unit cost= <!--Incremental or flyaway cost for military or retail price for commercial aircraft-->
| developed from=
| variants with their own articles=
}}
|}
The '''RFB/Grumman American Fanliner''' was an experimental German light aircraft of the 1970s, propelled by a piston engine driving a [[ducted fan]]. A joint venture between the German company [[Rhein-Flugzeugbau]] (RFB) and the American general aviation manufacturer [[Grumman American]], two examples were built, but no production followed.
==Design and development==
In the 1960s, Hanno Fischer, Technical Director of [[Rhein-Flugzeugbau]] (RFB), developed an interest in aircraft powered by [[ducted fan]]s integrated into the aircraft structure, flying two modified gliders as testbeds, a [[VFW-Fokker FK-3]] fitted with an eight-bladed ducted fan in the rear fuselage, which flew as the Sirius I in 1969, and a [[Caproni Vizzola Calif|Caproni Vizzola Calif A-21]], which flew as the Sirius II on 16 December 1971. Based on the successful results of testing of these aircraft, RFB decided to start work on a two-seat ducted-fan military trainer, intended to offer jet-like handling at low cost, which became the [[RFB Fantrainer]], while in 1972, RFB began studies on a two-seat light touring aircraft with side-by-side seating.<ref name="AIfeb77 p60">''Air International'' February 1977, p. 60.</ref><ref name="AIfeb86 p70-1">Fricker ''Air International'' February 1986, pp. 70–71.</ref>
While early interest in the Fantrainer was limited, RFB concentrated on the light tourer, which was named the Fanliner, with the intention that it would be able to act as a testbed for ducted fan installations for the Fantrainer as well as a prospective production aircraft in its own right. RFB entered into a joint venture with Grumman American to develop the Fanliner, allowing the use of components from existing Grumman American light planes.<ref name="AIfeb77 p60"/>
The first prototype Fanliner made its maiden flight on 8 October 1973.<ref name="jawa76 p74"/> It was a mid-winged [[monoplane]] of all-metal construction with a fixed [[tricycle landing gear|nosewheel undercarriage]]. The crew of two sat side by side in an enclosed cockpit which hinged on the centreline in a [[gull-wing door]] arrangement to give access. Dual controls were fitted. The engine, an {{convert|85|kW|hp|abbr=on}} water-cooled Audi [[NSU Motorenwerke|NSU]] [[wankel engine]] was positioned behind the cockpit, and drove the ducted fan situated behind the engine. The radiator for the engine was fitted in the aircraft's nose. The rear fuselage, which carried a [[T-tail]], consisted of a narrow boom extended behind the fan duct, supported by triangular-section beams in a cruciform arrangement. The aircraft's wings and horizontal tail surfaces were taken from a [[Grumman American AA-1]], while the vertical tail surfaces were new.<ref name="jawa76 p74"/><ref name="AIfeb77 p62-3">''Air International'' February 1977, pp. 62–63.</ref> At first the fan was ungeared, which resulted in high noise levels. The engine was replaced by a {{convert|150|hp|kW|abbr=on|disp=flip}} engine in 1974, and considerable testing was carried out with various designs of fans and reduction gearing in order to reduce the noise to acceptable levels. The use of a three-bladed [[fiberglass]] fan, with swept blades driven via a gearbox allowed noise levels to be reduced to well below the German statutory limits for light aircraft.<ref name="fi lam p477">Lambert ''Flight International'' 26 February 1977, p. 477.</ref> The first prototype Fanliner, ''D-EJFL'' with makers number 001, was exhibited at the June 1975 [[Paris Air Show]].
[[File:RFB Fanliner D-EBFL LEB 10.06.77 edited-4.jpg|thumb|right|The second Fanliner with revised cockpit glazing and other changes exhibited at the 1977 Paris Air Show]]
A second, pre-production, aircraft registered ''D-EBFL'', flew on 4 September 1976. It was exhibited at the June 1977 Paris Air Show. This used the wings and horizontal tail from a [[Grumman American AA-5]] had a redesigned, more streamlined fuselage (industrial designer [[Luigi Colani]] was involved in redesigning the fuselage) and was fitted with a {{convert|150|hp|kW|abbr=on|disp=flip}} engine with radiators moved to behind the cabin.<ref name="AIfeb77 p63-4">''Air International'' February 1977, pp. 63–64.</ref> Wingspan of the second prototype was {{convert|31|ft|6|in|m|disp=flip|abbr=on}}, while it demonstrated a speed of {{convert|156|mph|km/h|disp=flip|abbr=on}} and a climb rate of 5.5&nbsp;m/s (1,080&nbsp;ft/min).<ref name="fi lam p479">Lambert ''Flight International'' 26 February 1977, p. 479.</ref> No production followed, as RFB decided to concentrate on the military Fantrainer, which had gained priority following the receipt of a contract for two prototypes from the German [[Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)|Federal Ministry of Defence]], although the Fanliners did provide useful development data for the Fantrainer's ducted fan.<ref name="AIfen86 p71">Fricker 1976, p. 71.</ref>
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==Specifications (First prototype) ==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77<ref name="jawa76 p74">Taylor 1976, p. 74.</ref>
|prime units?=met
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|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Audi NSU Ro 135
|eng1 type=[[Wankel engine]]
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|max speed kmh=220
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|climb rate ftmin=650
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==References==
{{reflist}}
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite magazine|title=Fan-In-A-Ring...Successor To The Propeller?|magazine=[[Air International]]|date=February 1977|volume= 12|issue= 2|pages=59–66}}
*{{cite magazine|last=Fricker|first=John|title=Flying the Fantrainer|magazine=Air International|date=February 1986|volume= 30|issue= 2|pages=70–76|issn=0306-5634}}
*{{cite magazine|last=Lambert|first=Mark|title=Fanliner: tomorrow's two seater?|magazine=[[Flight International]]|date=26 February 1977|volume= 111|issue= 3546|pages=476–479|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1977/1977%20-%200508.html}}
*{{cite book|last=Taylor|first=John W. R.|author-link=John W. R. Taylor|title=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77|year=1976|publisher=Jane's Yearbooks|location=London|isbn=0-354-00538-3}}
{{refend}}
==External links==
{{commons category}}
*  [http://www.der-wankelmotor.de/Flugzeuge/Flugzeuge_Fanliner/flugzeuge_fanliner.html RFB Fanliner] (in German)
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[[Category:1970s German sport aircraft]]
[[Category:Ducted fan-powered aircraft]]
[[Category:Mid-engined aircraft]]
[[Category:RFB aircraft|Fanliner]]
[[Category:Gull-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1973]]
[[Category:T-tail aircraft]]