The Marske Monarch is a single-seat,
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 ...
,
tailless ultralight
Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with aile ...
glider and
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 ...
that was offered both as plans and a kit for
amateur construction by
Marske Aircraft.
[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 122. Soaring Society of America, November 1983. USPS 499-920[Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 57. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X]
Design and development
The Monarch first flew in 1974 and was designed to be both a powered self-launching sailplane and also a pure glider, depending on whether an engine was fitted. The glider version is suitable for
car-tow
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sports, air sport in which pilots fly glider aircraft, unpowered aircraft known as Glider (sailplane), gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmospher ...
or
winch-launching
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is a ...
.
The aircraft is built from
fiberglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...
and epoxy laminates. The wing uses a D-cell
leading edge
The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air;Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil sectio ...
. The optional engine can be mounted to the upright behind the pilot in
pusher configuration
In aeronautical and naval engineering, pusher configuration is the term used to describe a drivetrain of air- or watercraft with propulsion device(s) after the engine(s). This is in contrast to the more conventional tractor configuration, wh ...
, with the fuel tanks located in the leading edge D-cell. The original powerplant produced , but engines up to can be fitted. When the lower-powered engine is installed the wing is relocated forward to maintain
center of gravity
In physics, the center of mass of a distribution of mass in space (sometimes referred to as the barycenter or balance point) is the unique point at any given time where the weighted relative position of the distributed mass sums to zero. For ...
. With the larger engine the wing is moved aft. The standard control stick is mounted from above, simplifying control runs to the high wing. The aircraft was proof tested to 9
g.
The Monarch has had several modifications designed for it, including mounting a conventional floor-mounted
control stick
A joystick, sometimes called a flight stick, is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Also known as the control column, it is the principal control devic ...
. Other modifications include larger
aileron
An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement aroun ...
s and rudder to improve the low-speed handling characteristics.
Variants
;Monarch A
:
;Monarch B
:
;Monarch C
:
;Monarch D
:Longer span ailerons
;Monarch E
:Relocated spoilers and a larger rudder
;Monarch G
:Improved model
Specifications (Monarch C, D and E)
See also
References
External links
*
{{Marske Aircraft
1970s United States sailplanes
Monarch
A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...
Aircraft first flown in 1974
Tailless aircraft
Motor gliders
Single-engined pusher aircraft
High-wing aircraft