Riout 102T Alérion

[Jemiba]

An attempt from 1937, the Riout 102T "Alérion", not succesful, but still existing
today at the musée régional de l'air d'Angers:
(Drawings from Aviation Francais Magazine N°7, photo from http://www.musee-aviation-angers.fr)

 

[avion ancien]

I know that this unsuccessful French ornithopter of 1937 gets a brief mention elsewhere on the forum (http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,3652.0.html), but the Gérin V-6E Varivol, in the Angers museum, having popped up here today, it seemed opportune to mention the Riout Alérion, which stands alongside it there. It progressed as far as wind tunnel tests but there its wings proved insufficiently robust and broke and, presumably, the project was not pursued further. Below is a photograph of the Alérion, taken at Angers in 2010, showing the bare fuselage frame. Does anyone know if that is all of it that is in the GPPA collection or whether they have the wings, possibly in the storage hangar there?

 

[avion ancien]

To save you looking elsewhere, below is a photograph of the Alérion with its wings in place.

 

[toura]

hi all
From "le musée de l'air d'angers"
The RIOUT 102 T. Ornitopter
Who know more.........

 

[avion ancien]

Here's a quite recent photograph of the Alerion, which is interesting in that it is 'sans tissu' and shows its internal structure.

 

[Stargazer]

hi all
From "le musée de l'air d'angers"
The RIOUT 102 T. Ornitopter
Who know more.........

This is what we already have on the forum:

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,18681.0
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1310.msg167164.html#msg167164

 

[avion ancien]

Maybe the point has been reached at which the disparate posts concerning this ornithopter should be brought together in the thread specific to the Alérion?

posts merged in this thread here

 

[toura]

Thanks to all of you ! now I know this plane!
THANKS AGAIN
paul

 

[avion ancien]

Thank you, sir. You're a gent!

 

[Jemiba]

That's my job !
The Alérion is not a project, but a one-off prototype, well documented and
even still existing today, so it's ok to give it a thread on its own.

 

[Grey Havoc]

https://elpoderdelasgalaxias.wordpress.com/2018/03/05/riout-102t-alerion-sur-un-nenuphar-ephemere/

 

[TsrJoe]

Riout 120T

 

[TsrJoe]

Riout 120T

 

[PhR]

The first ornithopter Riout attempt:

 

[dan_inbox]

 

[avion ancien]

From 'French Aeroplanes Before the Great War' (Leonard Opdycke)(Schiffer Publishing, 1999):

'In 1912 Dubois and Rioux designed a machine meant to fly at 140 kmh and also to hover: they described it as an "invulnerable war machine". A very handsome as well as ambitious ornithopter, it was unsuccessful like all its predecessors - and its successors so far. The frame was all-metal, fabric covered. A long narrow tailplane and elevator were mounted on top of the rear fuselage, whic [sic] had a long nearly cylindrical shape; the rudder was set below the elevator. The wings had flexible tips and trailing edges, and were actuated by a 35 hp Viale mounted backwards at the nose . A large inertial wheel was to regulate the flapping movements.

(Span: 10.5m; wing area: 15 sqm; empty weight: 360 kg; 35 hp Viale)'

The photograph which appears alongside the above shows what appears to be the aftermath of an attempt at flight, with drooping wings whose tips lie on the ground. Sardonically, the caption says that: 'the range of movement of the wings may not have been designed to end at the ground'.