The Franklin PS-2 is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

high-wing A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple wings. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing config ...

strut-braced In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of struts, which act in ...

, single seat, glider that was designed by R. E. Franklin and produced by the Franklin Glider Corporation starting in 1930.Said, Bob: ''1983 Sailplane Directory,

Soaring Magazine ''SOARING'' is a magazine published monthly as a membership benefit of the Soaring Society of America. It was first published in 1937. The headquarters is in Hobbs, New Mexico. The magazine's article topics include safety issues and accounts of i ...

'', page 12. Soaring Society of America, November 1983. USPS 499-920

Design and development

The prototype PS-2 was the wingspan ''Texaco Eaglet'', flown in 1930. The production PS-2 had shorter wings. The PS-2 is constructed with a

steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

tube

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French language, French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds Aircrew, crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an Aircraft engine, engine as wel ...

and a wooden wing, all covered in doped

aircraft fabric covering Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures. The de Havilland Mosquito is an example of this technique, as are ...

. The wings lack spoilers of other glide-path control devices and are supported by dual, parallel struts. The landing gear is a fixed monowheel and a skid.

Operational history

The prototype Eaglet performed a number of long tows, including one flown by Frank Hawks from

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Elmira, New York Elmira () is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. ...

in 1930 and is now in the

National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States, dedicated to history of aviation, human flight and space exploration. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, ...

. In 1934, the PS-2 was the glider of choice for the ''Lustig Skytrain'' experiment. The concept was to tow three gliders in

tandem Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which two or more animals, machines, or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction. ''Tandem'' can also be used more generally to refer to any group of persons or objects w ...

, taking off from

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and releasing one each over

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Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

and

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The gliders were piloted by Jack O'Meara, PS-2 designer R.E. Franklin and

Stan Smith Stanley Roger Smith (born December 14, 1946) is an American former professional tennis player. A world No. 1 player and two-time major singles champion (at the 1971 US Open and 1972 Wimbledon Championships), Smith also paired with Bob Lutz t ...

. The Skytrain was intended to be a proof-of-concept for a future airline service, but was not pursued. The PS-2 was also used in 1934 for a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

primary flight training experiment in

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, designed by Ralph Barnaby The PS-2 was also flown by many early glider pilots including

Richard Chichester du Pont Richard Chichester du Pont (January 2, 1911 – September 11, 1943) was an American businessman and an aviation and glider pioneer who was a member of the prominent Du Pont family. He was the founder of the major US legacy carrier US Airways, ...

, Warren Eaton, Floyd Sweet and Stan Smith. In 1983, two were reported as being still flown and one was under restoration by the designer's son, Chuck Franklin. The

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...

had seven PS-2s registered in March 2011, including the Franklin-Stevens PS-2.

Variants

;Texaco Eaglet :Prototype with span wings ;PS-2 :Production model with a wingspan ;Franklin-Stevens PS-2 :Modified model ;TG-15 :United States Army Air Corps designation for eight PS-2 gliders impressed as training gliders in 1942. ;TG-17 :United States Army Air Corps designation for one PS-2 gliders impressed as a training glider in 1942 (serial number ''42-57193'').

Aircraft on display

National Museum of Naval Aviation The National Naval Aviation Museum, formerly known as the National Museum of Naval Aviation and the Naval Aviation Museum, is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Founded in 1962 and moved to its curr ...

National Soaring Museum The National Soaring Museum (NSM) is an aviation museum whose stated aim is to preserve the history of motorless flight. It is located in Big Flats Town, New York, on top of Harris Hill near Elmira. The NSM is the Soaring Society of America's ...

- four, plus one Franklin-Stevens PS-2 *

US Southwest Soaring Museum The US Southwest Soaring Museum is an aviation museum, located at 918 E US Route 66, in Moriarty, New Mexico, United States that focuses on the history of gliding in the western United States. The museum is an affiliate member of the Soaring Soci ...

Yankee Air Museum The Michigan Flight Museum, formerly known as the Yankee Air Museum, is an aviation museum located at Willow Run Airport, and in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan. The museum has a small fleet of flying aircraft and a collection of static display air ...

, Belleville, Michigan

Specifications (PS-2)

References

External links

Photos of the PS-2 in the NSM
{{US glider aircraft 1930s United States sailplanes Glider aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1930