Schreder Airmate HP-10 explained

The Schreder Airmate HP-10 is an American, high wing, single seat, FAI Standard Class glider that was designed by Richard Schreder. Airmate was the name of Schreder's design company.[1] [2]

Design and development

The HP-10 (HP stands for high performance) was designed by Schreder for the 1961 US Nationals.

The aircraft is built from aluminium and has a V-tail. The constant-chord wing is made up from eight aluminum honeycomb-sandwich structural panels and has large flaps, using up 341NaN1, or 70%, of the 481NaN1 wingspan. The wing uses a NACA 65 (3)-618 airfoil, the same profile as the HP-8. Some HP-10s were finished with Helisoar-produced fiberglass Hoerner wingtips. The landing gear is a fixed monowheel.[3]

The production rights to the HP-10 were purchased by Helisoar, a company owned by Steve duPont. The company produced a number of kits for the aircraft before production was ended. At least nine kits were completed, most in the Experimental - amateur-built category. Some were registered with the Federal Aviation Administration as Helisoar HP-10s. When Helisoar was liquidated duPont donated all the tooling, parts, drawings and engineering reports to the EAA AirVenture Museum as the Soaring Society of America had no storage space at that time.[4]

Operational history

Schreder and the HP-10 won the Stroukoff Trophy in 1961 for a 57 km/h (35.5 mph) 229 km (142 miles) goal and return flight.

With its high wing loading of 6.75 lb/sq ft (33.0 kg/m2) and small wing area of 114 sq ft (10.6 m2), the HP-10 developed a reputation of being difficult to keep aloft in weak soaring conditions.

In April 2011 there were three HP-10s registered with the FAA, including one in the National Soaring Museum and one in the EAA AirVenture Museum.

Aircraft on display

Notes and References

  1. Web site: HP-10 Airmate HP Aircraft, LLC. 11 April 2011. Activate Media. 2006. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120405061650/http://www.sailplanedirectory.com/PlaneDetails.cfm?PlaneID=159. 5 April 2012.
  2. Said, Bob: 1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine, page 19. Soaring Society of America, November 1983. USPS 499-920
  3. Web site: HELISOAR/DU PONT HP-10 – N319Y. 11 April 2011. Experimental Aircraft Association. 2011.
  4. Web site: Make / Model Inquiry Results. 11 April 2011. Federal Aviation Administration. April 2011.
  5. Web site: Sailplanes in Our Collection. 26 February 2011. National Soaring Museum. 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110516142717/http://www.soaringmuseum.org/collection.html. 16 May 2011.