Canadian NRC tailless glider

Link's not working for me...

I'm sure I've seen it before.
To me it's almost as if it has Burnelli written all over it!
 
Whoa....NOT Burnelli........!
It's the canadian NRC (or NRL) glider, first flown in 1946... :eek:
There's an article about it in Aeroplane Monthly, August 1976.
I'll post a summary in due course, but for now, here's a couple of pictures...

cheers,
Robin.
 

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This aircraft was a carry on from previous work done at Westlands in the UK, using some ex-Westlands senior staff, and was known as the Pterodactyl VII. Good summary at http://www.canadianwings.com/Aircraft/aircraftDetail.php?NRC-Pterodactyl-258 . Testing was supported by the RCAF, but as far as I can determine the aircraft was always the property of the NRC, which at the time belonged to the Treasury Board, not the DND. No civil registration or military serial ever marked, as far as I can tell.

The NRL on the NASA drawing stands for National Research Laboratory, a branch of the NRC (National Research Council).
 
robunos said:
Whoa....NOT Burnelli........! It's the canadian NRC (or NRL) glider, first flown in 1946... :eek:
I'll post a summary in due course, but for now, here's a couple of pictures..

Thanks a lot for this, Bill!

Bill Walker said:
This aircraft was a carry on from previous work done at Westlands in the UK, using some ex-Westlands senior staff, and was known as the Pterodactyl VII.

The page you linked says Pterodactyl VIII...
 
Okay, here's some more, from the 'Aeroplane' article...
The project was originally proposed by Professor G.T.R.Hill, of Pterodactyl fame, and Hill made the preliminary studies. Detail design was by NRC staff, under the leadership of G.S.Levy and Thor Stephenson. Professor Hill was British Scientific Liason Officer to the NRC at the time.
The aircraft was originally to be a 1/3 scale powered model, but evolved into a full-size glider.
Construction was of wood, but the wing surface was covered in a laminated plastic layer, to give a smooth surface.
The wing was fitted with rotating tip sections, for trimming purposes, and tip mounted fins and rudders. Two sets were constructed, one with a symmetrical section, the other with a cambered section. Control was via elevons, and split flaps were fitted, hydraulically operated. The tricycle undercarriage was retractable and fitted with brakes.
The glider was first flown by the famous Austrian sailplane pilot, Robert Kronfeld in the summer of 1946. After 30 hours flying, the aircraft was modified; the one piece canopies were replaced with fixed windscreens and sliding canopies, the main wheels were moved aft, to correct the centre of gravity, and retactable skids, to prevent a nose over during a wheels-up landing, were fitted in bulges under the wing leading edge.
Flying behaviour was considered good, although there were problems with flow separation around the separate canopies.
The major problem was that only 20% of a flight was considered useful testing time, along with the fact that a tug and crew were also needed.
After the test program ended, the glider was abandoned in the open, deteriorating until finally broken up in the mid 1950s.

Some more images...

cheers,
Robin.
 

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Fantastic! Thanks a lot for filling us in on the last Pterodactyl of the dynasty (which also looks like a twice-remote cousin of the Armstrong Whitworth A.W. 52!).
 
I think Pterodactyl VIII for the NRC project was an unoffical Canadian name. The Pterodactyl VIII in Hesham's lattest post is probably a proposed follow on in the UK, probably at Westland.
 
The NRC glider was simply called "The Wing"...
The "Pterodactyl VIII" in Hesham's last post is the Short company proposal to the Brabazon Commitee post-war civil transport aircraft studies. This project was equiped with 5 Griffon pusher engines and a "quilted" pressure cabin.

Specifications here-after (Source: "Sixty Years; The RCAF and CF Air Command 1924-1984" by Larry Milberry)
 

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...and was known as the Pterodactyl VII.

The aircraft was originally to be a 1/3 scale powered model, but evolved into a full-size glider.

I take the second sentence to mean that the original plan for what became the NRC Glider was to be a 1/3 powered scale model of the Pterodactyl VIII airliner concept, but that this plan was dropped, the aircraft then being built as the NRC glider.

cheers,
Robin.
 
That's also what I think Robin — despite the difference in shape of the wing's trailing edge. Thanks for your comment!
 
robunos said:
I take the second sentence to mean that the original plan for what became the NRC Glider was to be a 1/3 powered scale model of the Pterodactyl VIII airliner concept, but that this plan was dropped, the aircraft then being built as the NRC glider.

Can I suggest that this is probably incorrect? The Pterodactyl VIII airliner was the last of the prewar projects by Westland Aircraft and it did not last long. The NRC plane was purely a research aircraft with no immediate follow-up project in mind. It is sometimes referred to as, or confused with, the Pterodactyl VIII but as far as I can tell this appears to be a recent Internet meme with no historical foundation.
 
A few thoughts if I may.

The story of the one and only piloted aircraft capable of flying built in the workshops of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) began in 1942. That year, Geoffrey Terence Roland Hill became the scientific liaison officer between the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Aircraft Production and a Canadian counterpart, the Department of Munitions and Supply.

Fascinated since the early 1920s by the development of tailless aircraft, some of which were manufactured during the 1920s and 1930s, under the name Pterodactyl, this aeronautical engineer obtained from NRC that his most recent concept, a transport aircraft, the Pterodactyl VIII perhaps, be tested in a wind tunnel. At this time, indeed, efforts to maximise the performance of aircraft of various types was sparking renewed interest in tailless aircraft, or flying wings, in the United States and United Kingdom.

In early 1943, NRC considered carrying out Hill’s project using a scale model capable of flying. The British engineer succeeded in convincing it of the usefulness of building a piloted glider to study the flight characteristics of the new tailless aircraft. Since the project did not have a very high priority, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was opposed to an aircraft manufacturer building this prototype. The NRC Associate Committee on Aeronautical Research approved in November 1943 the construction of two two-seater wooden gliders that reproduced on a 1/3 scale the transport plane imagined by Hill.

Manufactured in Ottawa, in the NRC’s Structures Laboratory during the summer and fall of 1945, the NRC Glider or NRL (National Research Laboratories) Glider only flew in the spring of 1946, at Namao, an RCAF station near Edmonton, Alberta. Construction of the second glider appears to have been abandoned before it even began. That said, in September 1948, a transport plane towed the NRC Glider from Namao to Arnprior, Ontario, with a few stops along the way - a 3,700 km (2,300 mi) flight that was among the longest ever. With the craze for tailless planes drawing to a close, the glider was put away over the next few weeks, before being scrapped in the mid-1950s.

Stay safe.
 
Three photos of the NRC Tailless Glider were recently (17-March-2023) posted to the Flickr Commons by the Provincial Archives of Alberta. The captions accompanying the photos describe them as being taken at Namao (RCAF Station Edmonton) in 1946.
See:
View: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alberta_archives/52753733340/

View: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alberta_archives/52753733460/

View: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alberta_archives/52753817918/


Also, this video dedicated to the aircraft was posted to YouTube just over a year ago (April 22, 2022).
YouTube - Polyus: "Canada's Almost Forgotten Flying Wing; the NRC Tailless Glider"
 

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You may wish to note that the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa has some photos of that glider as well. A case in point...

With the exception of Library and Archives Canada, that museum may have one of the best collection of aviation photos in Canada. Its magazine collections is also one of the best in the country.
 

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In case it's not too well known, NRC (National Research Council) Archives maintains a collection of photographs online which you can download: https://nrc-digital-repository.canada.ca/eng/search/?q=Tailless+Glider&fc=+cn:nrcarchivesphotographs&m=1

The above link will show a list of 19 entries with the keyword "Tailless Glider". The keyword "Flying Wing" will list 49 entries.
I forgot to mention that the guy, James Arthur Simpson, in the picture with the landing gear (see attached) is the other co-founder of Long Sault Woodcraft that worked with my Dad at NRC on the Tailless Glider. Jim was the founding member of Soaring Association of Canada (SAC) as well as President and flight instructor at numerous gliding clubs.
 

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I'm 3D printing a scale model of the Tailless Glider / Flying Wing with a wingspan of 600mm. Here's the left wing section. It's only being printed at a 0.2mm layer height. This part took 10h 25m to print ;-)
 

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Well, the 3D printed 300mm wingspan model (1:48 scale) is all glued up! It's "ok" but as they say, we are our own worse critic!!

I still have to think about what I am going to do with the canopy.

Behind the NRC Tailless Glider / Flying Wing, we have the F14, F16, and SR-71 that I had fun putting together with my Step-Dad when I was younger. Many moons ago!

Coming up, the 600mm wingspan model (1:24 scale)
 

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Hello. The 1:24 scale mode (600mm wingspan) is completely printed. I managed to get Blender rigging to work - sort of - and took my 3D scanned model of myself, I had done several years ago, and posed it sitting down and "waving". This will be painted and placed in the pilot seat.

I designed a simple holder for the complete model to attach it to the wall. I will be making a collage of some of the pics that I showed you previously into one 8 x 11 framed picture hanging under the model.

I was thinking of adding some sort of RCAF registration markings. Probably roundel decals and Blue/White/Red stripes. Either of the vertical stabilizers OR on the other side of the two cockpits. I'm looking for suggestions on placement. I don't want to just have the yellow 3D printed model (as nice as it is) with SOME markings. I have attached a sample render showing the underneath.

Looking forward to your suggestions and recommendations? I know I have the wrong RCAF roundel. The one shown, I think, is too late.
 

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Looking forward to seeing your completed model!

As you say, the roundels in your 'testprofile' image are of the 11-point 15 Feb 1965 type. If you want roundels on your NRC glider model, you'll need the pre-flag change, more naturalistic 'silver maple' type.

Robin's image 'NRC Glider colour.png' in reply #9 gives two contemporary options - the 1945 Type B (red on blue) roundel shown on the Harvard or the 19 Jan 1946 Type D (blue/white/red) roundel on the Mustang.
 
Okay, here's some more, from the 'Aeroplane' article...
The project was originally proposed by Professor G.T.R.Hill, of Pterodactyl fame, and Hill made the preliminary studies. Detail design was by NRC staff, under the leadership of G.S.Levy and Thor Stephenson. Professor Hill was British Scientific Liason Officer to the NRC at the time.
The aircraft was originally to be a 1/3 scale powered model, but evolved into a full-size glider.
Construction was of wood, but the wing surface was covered in a laminated plastic layer, to give a smooth surface.
The wing was fitted with rotating tip sections, for trimming purposes, and tip mounted fins and rudders. Two sets were constructed, one with a symmetrical section, the other with a cambered section. Control was via elevons, and split flaps were fitted, hydraulically operated. The tricycle undercarriage was retractable and fitted with brakes.
The glider was first flown by the famous Austrian sailplane pilot, Robert Kronfeld in the summer of 1946. After 30 hours flying, the aircraft was modified; the one piece canopies were replaced with fixed windscreens and sliding canopies, the main wheels were moved aft, to correct the centre of gravity, and retactable skids, to prevent a nose over during a wheels-up landing, were fitted in bulges under the wing leading edge.
Flying behaviour was considered good, although there were problems with flow separation around the separate canopies.
The major problem was that only 20% of a flight was considered useful testing time, along with the fact that a tug and crew were also needed.
After the test program ended, the glider was abandoned in the open, deteriorating until finally broken up in the mid 1950s.

Some more images...

cheers,
Robin.
combined response
Although this artwork carries on with the wrong assumption of the Pterodactyl VIII designation, hope that does not spoil looking at this.
View attachment 635852
Are they using the entire wingtip as the aileron?
 
Looking forward to seeing your completed model!

As you say, the roundels in your 'testprofile' image are of the 11-point 15 Feb 1965 type. If you want roundels on your NRC glider model, you'll need the pre-flag change, more naturalistic 'silver maple' type.

Robin's image 'NRC Glider colour.png' in reply #9 gives two contemporary options - the 1945 Type B (red on blue) roundel shown on the Harvard or the 19 Jan 1946 Type D (blue/white/red) roundel on the Mustang.
Any recommendation on where to buy the decals?
 
combined response

Are they using the entire wingtip as the aileron?
There was a story that I found that said that the pilot's canopy flew off while being towed and the pilot wasn't able to radio in to tell the tow plane. Luckily the other guy in the other cockpit noticed what was going on and radioed in. I'll have to find the article again.
 
Looking forward to seeing your completed model!

As you say, the roundels in your 'testprofile' image are of the 11-point 15 Feb 1965 type. If you want roundels on your NRC glider model, you'll need the pre-flag change, more naturalistic 'silver maple' type.

Robin's image 'NRC Glider colour.png' in reply #9 gives two contemporary options - the 1945 Type B (red on blue) roundel shown on the Harvard or the 19 Jan 1946 Type D (blue/white/red) roundel on the Mustang.
Thanks. Here's an expanded view of Robin's image
 

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There was a story that I found that said that the pilot's canopy flew off while being towed and the pilot wasn't able to radio in to tell the tow plane. Luckily the other guy in the other cockpit noticed what was going on and radioed in. I'll have to find the article again.
I found the article again. It's from: "SIXTY YEARS The RCAF and CF Air Command 1924-1984. See attached.
 

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Just came across this short YT video:

Newsreel of National Research Council of Canada's Flying Wing Glider​

I was looking for my Dad but didn't see him. There is a shot that's at the exact angle as shown in my profile pic. Same wooden benches in the same places. LOL

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqvtXu7wHpk
 
Tricky, since there aren't going to be a lot of 1/24 scale decal sheets out there. What is the scale diameter of post-1965 roundels that you have used?

Depending upon the desired size, you may be able to substitute 'scaled up' 1/48 roundels. Eg: Leading Edge's 1/48 roundel sheet:
-- http://lemdecal.com/Images/Product Promo/LE.006 RCAF ROUNDEL 48TH 1000.jpg
Yeah, I figured that when I saw the various scales the decals are for. Taking out my calipers and measuring the relative size of the roundel and where I want them placed, it looks like the size would be about 45 mm.

One thing I never knew (that I found out tonight) was that the Tailless Glider built by NRC was only 1/3 scale of their originally planned Flying Wing! It was LOADED with the latest instruments of its time to be later used in the Transonic Wing Flow project soon to follow the Tailless Glider project.

Thanks for the link. Much appreciated!
 
Did the glider ever have roundels or serial applied ?
 
Did the glider ever have roundels or serial applied ?
No. There were no registration markings at all. I just couldn't do all this effort in printing and displaying without some sort of "what if" feel and realism. Plus a nod to Canada, NRC, and my Dad who worked on it.
 
Yeah, I figured that when I saw the various scales the decals are for. Taking out my calipers and measuring the relative size of the roundel and where I want them placed, it looks like the size would be about 45 mm...

So, if my (often faulty) arithmetic is correct, Leading Edge's 1/72nd scale 50-inch roundels would be just about right in 1/24th?
 

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