The Fauvel AV.22 was an unorthodox

glider Glider may refer to: Aircraft and transport Aircraft * Glider (aircraft), heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight ** Glider (sailplane), a rigid-winged glider aircraft with an undercarriage, used in the sport of gliding ...

produced in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Originally intended to be produced in series, it was later marketed to homebuilders. Like other

Charles Fauvel Charles Fauvel (31 December 1904 - 10 September 1979) was a French aircraft designer noted for his tailless and flying wing designs and, in particular, his sailplanes. Fauvel became interested in soaring after witnessing a competition at Vauville ...

designs, it was a tailless aircraft, and this particular design featured wings with a slight forward sweep.

Design and development

The original AV.22 design was unpowered, but later versions were equipped with an engine mounted in the nose for self-launching. The AV.22 was entered in a 1959 competition to select a standard glider for the French aeroclubs, but lost to the Wassmer Bijave. The first powered version was the AV.221, which flew on 8 April 1965. In addition to the powerplant, the fuselage was also redesigned to accommodate a passenger side-by-side with the pilot. A simplified version of this aircraft was marketed for homebuilding as the AV.222, with options including a choice of airfoils, and either one or two wheel undercarriage.

Variants

;AV.22:Initial glider version;first flight 8 April 1956. Two prototypes and four production aircraft were built ;AV.22S: Production version of the AV.22 glider. ;AV.221:Two-seat motor glider, powered by a Rectimo 4 AR 1200 engine. ;AV.221B:A proposed variant powered by a Survol - de Coucy "Pygmée" engine. ;AV.222:Simplified AV.221 for homebuilding;first flight May 1992.

Specifications (AV.22S / AV.222)

References

Notes

Bibliography