OpenSky M-02 explained

The OpenSky M-02/M-02j is a Japanese primary glider/jet-powered motor glider inspired by the Möwe aircraft flown by the protagonist in the Hayao Miyazaki anime Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.^[1] It is a tail-less design intended to be powered on take off and climb for a duration of 10 minutes, then flown unpowered as a glider. As of June 2006, two aircraft prototypes have been constructed, and one has successfully completed a series of 10 unpowered test flights where it flew 98 meters and achieved an altitude of 4 meters after being tow-launched by a tensed elastic cable.^{[2] [3]} The project is led by artist Kazuhiko Hachiya and design by Satoru Shinohe and manufactured by Aircraft Olympos. The Jet engine installed version, M-02J, had public demonstration flight in June 2016 at Takikawa, Hokkaido.^[4]

Variants

• Möwe 1/2 (メーヴェ1/2) — sub-scale, radio-controlled development aircraft
• M-01 — unpowered development aircraft
• M-02 a total of 2 airframes of M-02 were built, 1 for preliminary gliding practice and 1 for installing Jet engine with no intention to mass-production.^[5] The glider version airframe is a collection of 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa since 2008.^[6]
  • M-02J (14 June 2007) Modified M-02 airframe has had a Jet engine installed.^[7] (14 April 2010) Vehicle M-02 has undergone high speed taxi tests at Fukusima Sky Park runway, in order to evaluate stability and acceleration. More details of the jet engine assembly are available, and the engine has a considerable separation from the walls of the engine pod, in order to permit better cooling and prevent the wood and composite airframe from encountering an excessive fire risk.^[8]

External links

• • OpenSky webpage (Japanese)
• AC-Olympos website (Japanese)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Jet-powered Nausicaa Glider Project . . 21 February 2004 . 2006-06-18.
2. Web site: 2006. testflight060526_1.mov . MOV . OpenSky . Petworks.co.jp . 2006-06-18.
3. Web site: Project OpenSky Takes Off . . 17 June 2006 . 2006-06-18.
4. Web site: M-02J公開試験飛行 20160731 たきかわスカイパーク. 2016-08-26. Niconico Video. en-US. 2017-04-26.
5. Web site: 2007. Opensky Q&A . OpenSky . Petworks.co.jp . 2010-02-23. A total of 2 airframes were built from this design, including a practice preliminary glider and a Jet engine installed self-powered aeroplane. [With no intention to mass-produce.] (この機体は、訓練用の初級滑空機とジェットエンジンを載せた自作航空機の２機を制作し、合計２機で運用の予定です。（量産化の予定はいまのところありません）)
6. Web site: ［ID:345］ M-02 ： Detail | COLLECTION | 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa . 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa . February 26, 2022.
7. Web site: 2007. Opensky Q&A . OpenSky . Petworks.co.jp . 2010-02-23. Can this airframe fly by itself immediately? As of 2007, a test model M-02J installed with a jet engine that can make it fly by itself is planned. The current airframe is being modified and tested. (■この機体は、今すぐ自力で飛べるの？□2007年には自力で飛べるようなジェットエンジンを搭載した試作機M-02Jを作る予定で,現在機体の改造やテストなど行っています。)
8. Web site: - YouTube. YouTube.