The Custer Channel Wing

[Thorlifter]

Anyone ever heard of this plane before? I didn't until today when I was looking at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum website. You can also get a little information here.

WELCOME TO THE MID-ATLANTIC AIR MUSEUM

Welcome to the Custer Channelwing Website.

 

[Colin1]

That's a pretty weird aeroplane, aside from the unusual wing, there doesn't seem to be much of substance holding the nacelle to the rest of it.

 

[thunderbird]

yep its a "powered" lift wing. Had a Clmax of close to 9 (about 3 times more lift than the best multi-flap system). works great till one engine quits.

 

[evangilder]

works great till one engine quits.

True with a lot of twins though. It you lose one engine, you will have just enough power to arrive at the crash site.

 

[Shortround6]

True with a lot of twins though. It you lose one engine, you will have just enough power to arrive at the crash site.

True but with the Custer you also lose a lot of lift on the side where the engine quits which might lead to rolling over if the pilot isn't quick. And an awful lot of aileron to compensate if he his. Either way the crash site might be a lot closer to the engine quit point than a regular twin.

Being able to "pick" your crash site may have some advantages.

 

[davparlr]

True but with the Custer you also lose a lot of lift on the side where the engine quits which might lead to rolling over if the pilot isn't quick. And an awful lot of aileron to compensate if he his. Either way the crash site might be a lot closer to the engine quit point than a regular twin.

Being able to "pick" your crash site may have some advantages.

The V-22 has the same problem but solves it with a coupled shaft, a solution that could be added to the channel wing. I believe I saw that plane fly. It was quite remarkable. It could fly very slowly and even backward in a slight wind. I always wondered why it never was successful. It seems like an ideal solution to the V/STOL - standard aircraft problem.