"MINI SNIFFER"
OVERVIEW (Specifications at bottom of
page)
This unmanned, small aircraft, was designed as a proof of concept for a “ MARS
BOUND MISSION”
For funding reasons, it was also going to be capable to “SNIFF” atmospheric
particles and pollutants at around 100.000 ft. (one hundred thousand). An
density altitude similar to that, near the surface of Mars. (go to the
article)
This task was one of our first NASA contracts and the first vehicle was designed
, built and delivered in just five weeks. The only information provided to
us, was on three sheets of note paper, representing the airfoil, plan form and
front view of the proposed craft. We were given the payload and structural
requirements to meet and were left to our own resources to design and meet them.
Subsequent requirements, changes, as well as "add ons" like the winglets, Kevlar
empenage and the custom propeller, kept us busy for a while.
THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THESE TASKS, LED TO MANY FURTHER CONTRACTS FOR NASA
DRYDEN RESEARCH CENTER, KEEPING US INTERESTED FOR YEARS.
click on the "pic"
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Early version center section |
The first two before modifications |
The "glider type" wing attachment |
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| The final version |
Gliding to a landing at NASA DRYDEN (EDWARDS) |
SHOWING IT OFF!! (note the prop we built) |
SPECIFICATIONS
BUILT BY FRED JIRAN GLIDER REPAIRS
WING SPAN
21.275 Ft.
WING AREA
42 Sq.Ft.
FUSELAGE LENGTH
9 Ft.
OVER ALL LENGTH
18.8 Ft.
HORIZONTAL STABILIZER 1 4
Sq.Ft.
VERTICAL STABILIZER
5 Sq.Ft.
Vehicle No. 1 was constructed from a three view drawing and finished in 35
days. It was fabricated out of foam and fiberglass, and was completed in
April of 1974. This vehicle was test flown with a 12 HP McCulloch engine and a
22" Sench propeller. The MINI—SNIFFER was flown from 125 pounds to 167 pounds
gross weight, rate of climb at 160 pounds was 535 ft/mm. The propeller
efficiency, 50% at 8 brake horse power at 6500 RPM.
We fabricated Vehicle No. 2 out of a set of molds we made from vehic1e No. 1.
The modified horizontal and verticals on Vehicle No. 2 were manufactured by our
company out of Dupont Kevlar (c) and carbon fiber.
The light weight propeller on the MINI SNIFFER Vehicle No. 2, was
manufactured by our firm out of Kevlar (c) and carbon fiber. The propeller as
shown in the picture was designed for high altitude flying. The span of the
propeller is approximately 6 feet and it weighed only 24 oz. The engine is
an experimental 15 H.P. Hydrazene engine.
