New Aircraft Quiz #10

[Doug Robertson]

Once upon a time in America there was a person heading an aerospace technology firm that supplied literally millions of parts (one Boeing design alone would require 4 million of the parts) to many major commercial jet and military aircraft manufacturers, as well as for NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory aerospace projects.

This person observed that many four and six place light business General Aviation aircraft were frequently flown with just one or two seats occupied. This person decided to fill the perceived need by developing a day or night IFR-capable sleek aircraft design with fewer seats and multiple power for speed, safety and efficiency.

1. Name this person.

2. Name the above referenced company the person was the Chairman of.

3. Name the make and full model designator name of the aircraft that was certificated by the then Federal Aviation Agency.

4. Name the engine/s number of make/model and power.

5. What were two unusual things about the aircraft panels' construction?

6. Name the different company that made the certificated production aircraft.

I am betting this poser will be tough to get all right answers. Prove me wrong! Again, you will need to supply all SIX right answers to win the quiz. Suggest numbering your corresponding answers would be helpful. And, I won't respond affirmatively until one person gets ALL six answers correct. Read and re-read all above carefully in your research. No questions will be answered.

[Timothy Aanerud]

4 million parts? wow. The must be fasteners of some sort like Rivets.

A 747-400 has six million parts, half of which are fasteners.

[Timothy Aanerud]

Here's my guess. I think I have 5 of 6 items correct.

1. George Wing
2. Hi-Shear
3. Wing Aircraft Model D-1
4. 2 Lycoming Model IO-320-B1C or 2 Lycoming Model IO-320-C1A
5. I don't have a copy of Jane's all the world's aircraft.
6. Wing Aircraft Company

[Doug Robertson]

Well, we have had over a thousand hits on this puppy and only one responder.

Friend Timothy gets an 83% score on his answers. Congrats to you, Timothy!

Here are mine.

1. George S. Wing

2. Hi-Shear Corporation

3. Wing D-1 Derringer

4. Two Lycoming IO-320-B1C, -C1A 160 Hp each

5. The aircraft's panels were chemically milled and stretch-formed.

6. Wing Aircraft Corp.

And no, I don't have a Janes that covers this model, but the Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation, Vol. 5, copyright 1980 gives it just three scant half page-width lines, and the Index does NOT even list it. I do have at least one other reference book on it-not Wikipedia.

About the rivets-the Boeing model B-2707 Supersonic Transport customer of Hi-Shear would have required 4 million per aircraft built.

I have a lot more history of the two-place Wing D-1 Derringer and specs if anyone interested, as I was a stockholder of Hi-Shear Corp, based at Torrance, CA Municipal Airport TOA in the 1960s.

[Timothy Aanerud]

There was an attempt to resume production back in 1998-1999 time frame. I was able to find a reference to an article in the November 1998 issue of Flying. AOPA had a mention of in the August 2000 issue of AOPA Pilot. That article is accessible here: http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/2000/right0008.html

The Wayback Machine at www.archive.org crawled a website called http://derringeraircraft.com and has a few more details. Site was live from 1998 through 2006.

The part about

[Doug Robertson]

Timothy,

Thanks for the additional references. The fellow who wanted to bring the Wing Derringer back into production by buying the Type Certificate wanted to enlarge it from a two-place to a four place aircraft, not exactly George Wing's concept at all. Furthermore, a new Type certificate probably would be required if enlarged.

John Thorp designed a Twin Skooter, his 17th aircraft design which was the basis of George Wing's development of the aircraft into the Wing Derringer. To my knowledge, no twin Skooter ever went into production.

The prototype Wing Derringer had two 115 Hp engines and was lost in flight testing in the Pacific ocean off TOA, if memory serves me. The FAA granted Type certificate A9WE for the Wing Derringer on 20 December 1966. BY 1967 four aircraft were built including the prototype and static-test aircraft. Plans called for the design to be sold to the Wing Aircraft Company that intended to contract for production with an experienced midwest airframe manufacturer.

Wing Derringer D-1 specs and performance.

Wingspan: 29 ft. 2 in.
Length: 23 ft. 0 in.
Gross wt.: 3,050 lbs.
Cruise speed: 210-224 mph
Max range: 1,160 miles.
Metal aircraft panels were chemically milled and stretch-formed.

More about those rivets.....

Hi-Shear Corporation built structural fasteners for many aircraft programs. To name a few-Boeing 707, 720, 727, 737 and 747 series, the Douglas DC-8 stretched series and the short haul DC-9. Military structural fastener contracts were for the McDonnell F-4, the Northrop F-5, Lockheed C-141 and C-5A, Bell Hueys and Sikorsky helicopters, Grumman S-2A, A-6A, E-2A, C-2A, OV-1 and General Dynamics F-111 series.

Company trademarks and patents for aircraft fasteners were Hi-Shear rivets, Hi-Lok, Hi-Torque, Hi-Kor Blind Bolts, Six-Wing Bolt and Nut with mating driver sockets, Sectional Blind-Sert and pneumatic or other tools for fastener installation.

Their Ordnance program offered Gas-generating Power Cartridges, Separation Nuts, and Deep-Submergence structure-release systems. Their Separation Nuts were used in NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Hughes Surveyor landings on the moon. Hi-Shear Corp. had over 257,000 square feet in over 12 buildings at Torrance Airport TOA.