The Swanson-Fahlin SF-1 was a high wing, two seat cabin aircraft with a small radial engine, designed in the United States and first flown in 1934. Only one was built.
15-474: At the start of the collaboration between Swen Swanson and Ole Fahlin, Swanson had already designed several aircraft and Fahlin was better known for propeller design. Lacking manufacturing space of their own, and as they had chosen to design a smaller, less powerful development of the Swanson Coupe light aircraft around a Pobjoy engine, the facilities of the U.S. Pobjoy distributors, Nicholas-Beazely , provided
30-476: A closed-cabin, safe and economical airplane which was intended for use by "average men" who also drive cars. Data from Flying Magazine. May 1931 General characteristics Performance Warner Scarab The Warner Scarab is an American seven-cylinder radial aircraft engine , that was manufactured by the Warner Aircraft Corporation of Detroit , Michigan in 1928 through to
45-532: A natural space for its construction. The SF-1 was a high , cantilever , gull wing cabin aircraft of all-wood and canvas construction. The wing was mounted on the fuselage according to Swanson's patented design, which left the central section over the cabin clear, with a short, strut-supported, high dihedral part of the wing immediately outboard. In plan the wings were straight-tapered, with an unswept leading edge and rounded tips. Its air-cooled, seven cylinder, 80 hp (60 kW) Pobjoy R radial engine
60-662: The Kari Keen Coupe, Swanson designed the Kari-Keen 90, an improved version. But the Kari-Keen factory fell victim to the Great Depression and by early 1930 it closed its doors. Swanson did not wait for long and left Kari-Keen to devote his time to the design of his Swanson Coupe W-15. In 1931, after he left Kari-Keen, Swanson established the Swanson Aircraft Co. Inc. with headquarters at Hopewell, Virginia , and built
75-608: The Standard model and $ 4,985 for the Deluxe. Swanson did not have any commercial success with his Swanson Coupe. He subsequently decided to dissolve his aircraft company and went to the midwest to join the aircraft company of his friend Ole Fahlin . The Swanson Coupe became the basis of the first airplane produced jointly by them, the Fahlin SF-1. The Swanson Coupe was mentioned in a 1931 article of The Tuscaloosa News as an example of
90-482: The Swanson Coupe W-15 whose design incorporated new breakthroughs such as a new type of patented wing mounting structure which enabled unobstructed view from the cockpit to both pilot and passenger even from above their heads. The new wing mounting technique also increased the peripheral field of view of the cabin. This was accomplished by eliminating an extra wing span which used to enter the cabin area and obstruct
105-472: The aircraft was viewed as part of a trend of producing safe and economical airplanes, which would appeal especially to automobile drivers. The Swanson Coupe was also designed to function as trainer aircraft . Swanson's design of the Kari-Keen Coupe monoplane incorporated his trademark seating design of two people in side-by-side configuration which was unusual at the time. Following the first version of
120-589: The ceiling of the cockpit thus limiting the overhead field of vision. The Swanson Coupe Model W-15 has been described as "beautiful", and its cantilever wing design has been called "ingenious". The plane was certified by the United States Department of Commerce and was powered by the Warner Scarab engine, which produced 85 h.p. at 1950 rpm. The Kari-Keen Coupe and the Swanson Coupe featured
135-431: The characteristic Swanson cantilever wing design. The Swanson planes also shared a similar seating configuration; the two-passengers were seated beside each other. Model W-15 featured detachable passenger-side controls which could be mounted or removed depending on whether a student pilot was present. This design feature made the plane suitable for use in flight schools. The cabin windshield was made using safety glass and
150-423: The door window panes were retractable. The plane had two variants: Standard and Deluxe. Both variants had dual flight controls, low pressure tires and mohair interior. Both models featured dual engine throttle controls: the main throttle control and a secondary throttle control button installed on the brake lever. The Deluxe came with an electric starter and more elaborate instrumentation. The prices were $ 4,450 for
165-681: The early 1940s. In military service the engine was designated R-420 . Among the many uses for the Scarab, the engine was fitted to the Cessna Airmaster and the Fairchild 24 (UC-61 or Argus). Notably, in 1942, it was put into use powering the Sikorsky R-4 , the first helicopter to be put into production. Many of these reliable engines soldier on today, still powering the aircraft to which they were originally mounted. The Warner 145 and 165 hp engines are
SECTION 10
#1733085839933180-508: The most commonly seen of the small radials for US-built pre-World War II era aircraft, in large part because of good parts availability due to the engines having been used on World War II Fairchild UC-61s and Meyers OTWs. Warner engines are also in demand as realistically sized, though far more powerful, replacement powerplants for many replica or restored World War I era airplanes which were originally fitted with rotary engines . Data from FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS)., Jane's all
195-424: The top of the fuselage. The elevators had a cut-out for rudder movement. The SF-1's landing gear had independent legs with their struts enclosed in streamlined fairings and braced with streamlined tie-rods. Wheel track was 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m). A pneumatic tailwheel was mounted at the extreme rear fuselage. The only SF-1 was first flown in 1934. Its subsequent history is uncertain, except that it
210-402: Was re-engined in about 1937 with a 85 hp (63 kW), flat-four Continental A-85 . Data from Aero Digest, July 1934 General characteristics Performance Swanson Coupe The Swanson Coupe Model W-15 was a high-wing , cantilever-type monoplane produced in 1931 by Swedish aircraft designer and manufacturer Swen Swanson . Its design was considered innovative and
225-450: Was supplied with its own long- chord cowling which was merged smoothly into the forward fuselage. Gearing off-set the propeller drive shaft upwards. Behind, the SF-1's cabin for two, sitting side-by-side, was under the wing and was accessed via external steps and wide doors. At the rear the tail was conventional, with a near-triangular fin and deep, rounded rudder and a tailplane mounted near
#932067