The Fournier RF 4 is a single-seater

motor glider A motor glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that can be flown with or without engine power. The FAI Gliding Commission Sporting Code definition is: a fixed-wing aerodyne equipped with a means of propulsion (MoP), capable of sustained soaring flig ...

René Fournier René Fournier (18 December 1932 – 26 August 2023) was a French professional racing cyclist. He rode in three editions of the Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily ...

in 1966. It is an

aerobatic Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aeroplane" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and gl ...

version of the Fournier RF 3.pilotfriend.com: Fournier aircraft history, performance and specifications
- accessed 13 March 2008Sailplane Directory: Fournier RF 5
- accessed 13 March 2008

Design and development

Conceived as a motor glider and sport touring aircraft, the RF 4 was introduced in 1966. It is of all-wood construction and is fully

. The

landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft, it is generally needed for all three of these. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, s ...

consists of a

monowheel gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft, it is generally needed for all three of these. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, s ...

which retracts forward into a

fibreglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass c ...

cowling. The main wheel has a brake which is manually operated. There is a small steerable tailwheel and wing-mounted outrigger wheels.Plane and Pilot: ''1978 Aircraft Directory'', page 73. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977.

Operational history

An RF 4D was flown by Mira Slovak across the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

while participating in the May 1969 Daily Mail Trans-Atlantic Air Race. The flight won a £1,000 prize offered by the

London Evening News The ''London Evening News'' was an evening newspaper published in London beginning on 14 August 1855. It was cheap, at a halfpenny per issue. It changed its name to ''The Day'' but "gave a poor news service", and had failed by 1859. Sources ...

for the best performance in the race by an aircraft under gross take-off weight. The main landing gear fork is an ongoing maintenance issue, with regular replacements needed.

Variants

;RF 4 :Prototype aerobatic variant of the RF 3, three-built by Alpavia ;RF 4D :Production variant, 155 built in Germany by Sportavia-Putzer, D was for Deutschland. 16 shipped to America

Specifications (RF 4D)

Sportavia Fournier RF-4 D - AirExpo Muret 2007 0191 2007-05-12

References

* Harrison, Neil
"In the Air:Number 230:Fournier RF 4D"
''

Flight International ''Flight International'', formerly ''Flight'', is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", i ...

'', 2 May 1968. pp. 669–670. {{Sportavia-Pützer aircraft 1960s French sailplanes 1960s German sailplanes Fournier aircraft Sportavia-Pützer aircraft Motor gliders Aerobatic aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1966

Design and development

Operational history

Variants

Specifications (RF 4D)

See also

References