The Matteson M-1 was an American
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 ...
, single-seat,
FAI Open Class
Competition classes in gliding, as in other sports, mainly exist to ensure fairness in competition. However the classes have not been targeted at fostering technological development as in other sports. Instead classes have arisen because of:
* t ...
glider that was designed and built by
Fred Matteson
Fred or FRED may refer to:
People
* Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name
Mononym
* Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French
* Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Fred ...
of
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a charter city in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto.
Th ...
and
Alfred Vogt
Alfred Vogt (31 October 1879 – 10 December 1943) was a Swiss ophthalmologist, known for his development of techniques for retinoscopy and the surgical management of retinal detachment.
Alfred Vogt received his doctorate from the University o ...
of
Schempp-Hirth
Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau GmbH is a glider manufacturer based in Kirchheim unter Teck, Germany.
History
Martin Schempp founded his own company in Göppingen in 1935, with the assistance of Wolf Hirth.
The company was initially called "Sport ...
.
Design and development
Work on the M-1 started in 1955 at the Schempp-Hirth factory, while Matteson was on military duty in
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
. The design that Matteson had conceived was adapted to German metric standards and materials by Alfred Vogt who did the early construction work. After being posted back to the United States Matteson completed the aircraft in 1959 in California.
The M-1 was built from wood and covered with 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 semi-tapered wing was of span and used a
NACA
The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency that was founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its ...
63-518
wing root
The wing root is the part of the wing on a fixed-wing aircraft or winged-spaceship that is closest to the fuselage,Peppler, I.L.: ''From The Ground Up'', page 9. Aviation Publishers Co. Limited, Ottawa Ontario, Twenty Seventh Revised Edition, 1 ...
airfoil
An airfoil (American English) or aerofoil (British English) is a streamlined body that is capable of generating significantly more Lift (force), lift than Drag (physics), drag. Wings, sails and propeller blades are examples of airfoils. Foil (fl ...
, transitioning to a NACA 4412 airfoil at the
wing tip
A wing tip (or wingtip) is the part of the wing that is most distant from the fuselage of a fixed-wing aircraft.
Because the wing tip shape influences the size and drag of the wingtip vortices, tip design has produced a diversity of sha ...
. The three-piece wing, with a fixed center section and removable tips, featured a foam-filled
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 ...
and large-sized lower surface
dive brakes
Dive brakes or dive flaps are deployed to slow down an aircraft when in a dive. They often consist of a metal flap that is lowered against the air flow, thus creating drag and reducing dive speed.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, ...
. The aircraft had a conventional tail with a tall, straight vertical fin. The M-1 used a take-off dolly, landing on a fixed skid.
Only one M-1 was ever built.
Operational history
Matteson later sold the completed aircraft and subsequent owners included Dr Gary Grant of
Yuba City, California
Yuba City ( Maidu: ''Yubu'') is a city in Northern California and the county seat of Sutter County, California
Sutter County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, ...
, Robert R. Kirby of
Santa Ynez, California
Santa Ynez ( ; Spanish for "St. Agnes", originally spelled ''Santa Inés'') is an unincorporated community in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, California, United States.
The population was 4,505 at the 2020 census, up from 4,418 ...
and Ron Tabery of
Austin Texas
Austin ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 26th-largest ...
.
Kirby described the aircraft: "I have flown the ship and it is a very fine machine. Its drawbacks are difficult assembly and a poor landing gear system." While he owned it Kirby modified the aircraft to try to address some of the noted deficiencies.
The M-1 is no longer on 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 ...
aircraft registry and its registration has been reassigned. It was reported that the aircraft was likely written off.
Specifications (M-1)
See also
Notes
References
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1950s United States sailplanes
Homebuilt aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1959