Gatard Statoplan Pigeon Explained
The
Gatard Statoplan AG 04 Pigeon was a light utility aircraft developed in France in the 1970s. It was a high-wing strut-braced monoplane with fixed tailwheel undercarriage. The wings could be quickly folded to facilitate storage or towing. As with Gatard's previous
Poussin, the Pigeon was built around an unconventional flight control system that relied on varying its wings' camber to provide most of its climb, rather than their angle of attack. A prototype, registered
F-WYBB flew in 1976, and although it was intended to market the design to homebuilders, this did not transpire.
References
- Book: Taylor, Michael J. H. . Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation . 1989 . Studio Editions . London . 415 .
- Book: Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1977-78 . Jane's Yearbooks . London . 490–91 .