Heath Parasol

Infobox Aircraft
name = Heath Parasol
type = amateur-built airplane

manufacturer = Heath



caption = This Parasol, photographed in 1935, was built by Methodist missionary Harold Shepherdson on Elcho Island in the remote Arnham Land region of northern Australia. It was built from an imported kit and fitted with DH60 main wheels and a a 34 hp Bristol Cherub, two-cylinder engine. The Reverend Shepherdson completed a number of ground runs in his Parasol before hitting a tree stump and severely damaging the aircraft. It's remains are now in the collection of the [http://www.darwinsairwar.com.au/home.html Australian Aviation Heritage Centre] in Darwin.
designer = Ed Heath
first flight = 1926
introduction = Parasol (1926); 1927 (Super Parasol); 1930 (V Parasol; 1931 (LN Parasol)
retired =
status =
primary user = Recreational flyers
more users =
* |produced = Still in limited production
program cost=
unit cost = $US975 fly away price for a Super Parasol in the late 1930s.
developed from =
variants with their own articles = [http://www.airventuremuseum.org/collection/aircraft/Heath%20LNB-4.asp LNB-4] [http://www.jimforeman.com/Stories/heath.htm Various models] [http://www.maam.org/aircraft/lna40.html LNA-4] [http://www.airminded.net/heath/heath.html Various models] [http://www.sun-n-fun.org/content/interior.asp?section=museum&body=planes/heathsuperparasolv V Parasol] The Heath Parasol is an American single-place, open cockpit, ultralight monoplane. During the late 1920s and early 1930s it was the only airplane that could be constructed at home from a factory-built kit and be licensed by the FAA. The Heath was extremely popular, being economical to build and operate, and easy to fly.

[http://blog.modernmechanix.com/category/transportation/aviation/ Modern Mechanix] magazine published plans and subsequently, Heath sold nearly 1,000 kits on an installment basis. Fewer than 50 were factory built, but several hundred were completed and flown by homebuilders during the depression.

Heath is remembered today for having helped pioneered the homebuilt aircraft industry and, for having introduced the kit concept for packaging of materials needed to build an aircraft.

Design

.

The fuselage is built of welded steel tube and is fabric covered. The wings consist of two solid spruce spars, built up wooden ribs, compression struts and internal bracing.

The empennage is built of wood, the tailplane being externally braced. Two five gallon fuel tanks are installed at the root end of each wing, the fuel being gravity fed. The only tools necessary to assemble one of the Parasol kits were a pair of small pliers, screwdriver, hacksaw (with plenty of blades), hammer, small hand drill, chisel, center punch, file and drill.

Powerplants

A variety of powerplants could be fitted, including the factory supplied converted Henderson Motorcycle engine (viz. 25 hp Heath-Henderson B-4).

Construction

Building a Heath Parasol requires basic woodworking skills and tools. Builders also need to fabricate some metal fittings to attach the wooden parts together. Some welding is required. The plans for the Parasol were also originally published in the "Flying and Glider" Manual.

It was not generally known that production of an early version was undertaken as early as 1931, in Australia, by the Adcock-Heath Company.

uper Parasol Specifications

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=Fact|date=February 2008
crew= One pilot
capacity=
length main= 16 ft 9 in
length alt= 5.1 m
span main= 25 ft 0 in
span alt= 7.62 m
height main= 5 ft 8.25 in
height alt= 1.73 m
area main= 135 ft²
area alt= 12.5 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 260 lb
empty weight alt= 117.9 kg
loaded weight main= 560 lb
loaded weight alt= 253.9 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)= Heath-Henderson B-4 (25 hp)
type of prop=
number of props=1
power main= 25 hp
power alt=
power original=

max speed main= 112 kmh
max speed alt= 70 mph
cruise speed main= 90 kmh
cruise speed alt= 56 mph
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main= 500 ft/min
climb rate alt= 152 m/min
loading main= 5.2 lb/ft²
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=

sequence=

lists=
* List of civil aircraft

see also=

Video links

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eps0zQP2SeE Robert Padget's Parasol on Facebook]

Construction drawings

[http://www.ultraligero.net/Sitios/Planos/Heat_LN_Parasol/heath_ln_parasol.htm Portal de Aviación Ultraligera]

References

* 1929 Flying and Glider Manual
* Sport Flying Quarterly, Vol.9 No.7, 1975, pp 54-63.

External links

* [http://www.airventuremuseum.org/collection/aircraft/Heath%20LNB-4.asp LNB-4]
* http://www.jimforeman.com/Stories/heath.htm The Heath Story
* http://www.maam.org/aircraft/lna40.html LNA-4
* http://www.airminded.net/heath/heath.html Various models
* http://www.sun-n-fun.org/content/interior.asp?section=museum&body=planes/heathsuperparasolv V Parasol