31:
206:. This was very similar to the Crested Wren but had a deeper cockpit which left the pilot less exposed. The tail surfaces were also revised, with a single-piece elevator with a straighter leading edge and a taller, deeper rudder. The elevator modification allowed the control wires to run within the fuselage. The deeper rudder added 35 mm (1.4 in) to the glider's length but all other dimensions were the same. The redesign increased the empty weight by about 20 lb (9 kg). The Willow Wren prototype first flew in December 1932.
174:
The
Crested Wren's fuselage was a plywood-skinned hexagonal structure, its vertical faces longer than the others. It curved to a point at the nose, where the flying wires and tow rope were attached, and tapered gently towards the tail. The open, unscreened cockpit was under the wing
283:
Only one
Dunstable Kestrel was factory built. Another Kestrel was constructed from plans in the UK, one in the USA and three more in Australia. The UK plan-built Kestrel crashed at the National Championships in 1939, killing its constructor.
271:
despite being painted green for part of its life remained active, after restoration by Manuel in 1964, into the 1970s, becoming the oldest airworthy glider in the UK. Manuel built a second example which went to
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507:
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229:. Both had also a transparency in the leading edge to provide an upwards view from the cockpit. Manuel too made changes to his second Willow Wren, the
351:
1935 development of the Willow Wren designed and built by the
Dunstable Sailplane Co. Same wing dimensions, slightly shorter and heavier. Six built.
456:
103:
by W. L. Manuel in the early 1930s, intended for slope soaring. Some were built by the designer, others from plans he supplied. The
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was the first of the series, its design influenced by contemporary German practice. It was built by Manuel. Its two-piece wings had single
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343:
Refined version with modified empennage and rear fuselage allowing internal elevator control wires. Deeper cockpit. Six built.
249:
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260:
Manuel sold the
Crested Wren, which remained active until at least 1938. In 1986, aged 83, he built a non-flying replica.
864:
276:, eventually crashing in 1949. Four other Willow Wrens were built to plans sold by Manuel, three in the UK and one in
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195:
moved between them. The elevator control wires emerged from the fuselage midway between the wing and the tail.
136:
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had an enclosed cockpit, ailerons with prominent rounded trailing edges and fuselage stiffening; the
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248:, a fuselage 4 in (102 mm) shorter and 35 lb (16 kg) heavier empty. It built by
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The Willow Wrens built from plans most acquired individual names based on their colour schemes:
677:
782:
703:
615:
560:
301:
140:
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were produced in batches with a method devised by Manuel. Behind the spar the wings were
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The first flight of the
Crested Wren was in July 1931. After soaring flights over the
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139:. The wings, which were slightly swept about the spars, had a constant-
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508:"Club Constructed machines - The Manuel method of producing ribs"
217:. Different constructors introduced their own modifications; the
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landing skid with a steel sole ran from the nose to below the
132:
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The first of the series. Only one built, often known as the
100:
57:
202:, Manuel designed and built a developed version named the
191:
were mounted on a little pedestal and a roughly D-shaped
187:. There were no fixed tail surfaces: separate rounded
171:
from the nose assisted with drag or torsional loads.
559:. London: A & C Black Ltd. pp. 143–4, 252.
821:
770:
614:. London: A & C Black Ltd. pp. 107, 246.
179:immediately forward of the pylon. A rubber-sprung
127:wing coverings forward of them, formed D-shaped
702:(22 ed.). Manchester: Crecy. p. 203.
481:"Club Constructed machines - The Crested Wren"
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8:
300:and others in the mid-1990s and was sold to
363:British Gliders and Sailplanes 1971 p.143-4
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143:centre section, tapering outboard with
95:formed a series of wooden, single-seat
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296:was acquired and restored by the late
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389:40 ft 0 in (12.19 m)
383:20 ft 4 in (6.20 m)
308:in 1998. It ius on display at the
14:
636:"British News - The Crested Wren"
237:to improve the stall behaviour.
29:
16:British single-seat glider, 1931
395:150 sq ft (14 m)
250:The Dunstable Sailplane Company
93:Manuel Crested and Willow Wrens
612:British Gliders and Sailplanes
557:British Gliders and Sailplanes
167:from the lower fuselage. Two
159:. The wings were mounted on a
1:
252:which Manuel now had joined.
855:Aircraft first flown in 1931
356:Specifications (Willow Wren)
244:, with the same wing as the
240:A final development was the
107:was a further development.
881:
516:The Sailplane & Glider
489:The Sailplane & Glider
85:13, all variants included
678:"List of sailplane types"
425:345 lb (156 kg)
28:
23:
850:1930s British sailplanes
610:Ellison, Norman (1971).
555:Ellison, Norman (1971).
419:210 lb (95 kg)
331:and later registered as
233:, giving the outer wing
687:. July 1937. p. 6.
368:General characteristics
310:Gliding Heritage Centre
263:The first Willow Wren,
213:, for example, was the
645:(59): 22. Autumn 1986.
523:(6): 62. 1 March 1932.
496:(5): 51. 1 March 1932.
111:Design and development
727:Göttingen 549 airfoil
666:(61): 4. Spring 1987.
123:which, together with
700:Wrecks & Relics
698:Ellis, Ken (2010).
288:Aircraft on display
256:Operational history
865:High-wing aircraft
320:Data from Ellison
837:
836:
709:978-0-85979-150-2
621:978-0-7136-1189-2
586:"The Wren Series"
566:978-0-7136-1189-2
457:"The Wren Series"
348:Dunstable Kestrel
302:Brooklands Museum
267:and known as the
242:Dunstable Kestrel
151:. There were no
105:Dunstable Kestrel
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53:National origin
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721:External links
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657:"British News"
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423:Gross weight:
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417:Empty weight:
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413:Göttingen 549
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185:trailing edge
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72:First flight
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67:W. L. Manuel
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788:Crested Wren
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778:1929 Biplane
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590:. Retrieved
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463:. Retrieved
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407:
400:Aspect ratio
398:
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367:
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359:
332:
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324:Crested Wren
319:
293:
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274:South Africa
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197:
177:leading edge
173:
169:flying wires
147:and rounded
117:Crested Wren
116:
114:
104:
92:
90:
81:Number built
41:Single seat
18:
822:Microlights
793:Willow Wren
763:Bill Manuel
340:Willow Wren
294:Yellow Wren
269:Yellow Wren
219:Golden Wren
215:Golden Wren
204:Willow Wren
200:South Downs
165:lift struts
129:box girders
844:Categories
783:VI Primary
592:16 October
465:16 October
435:References
393:Wing area:
298:Mike Beach
223:White Wren
75:July 1931
387:Wingspan:
361:Data from
278:Australia
246:Blue Wren
231:Blue Wren
189:elevators
157:airbrakes
64:Designer
43:sailplane
829:Ladybird
765:aircraft
664:VGS News
643:VGS News
329:Red Wren
316:Variants
227:dihedral
161:fuselage
145:ailerons
798:Kestrel
771:Gliders
685:Soaring
409:Airfoil
381:Length:
333:BGA 178
265:BGA 162
235:washout
211:BGA 202
125:plywood
97:gliders
808:Condor
706:
618:
563:
306:Surrey
193:rudder
681:(PDF)
660:(PDF)
639:(PDF)
511:(PDF)
484:(PDF)
460:(PDF)
375:Crew:
153:flaps
141:chord
121:spars
38:Role
24:Wren
813:Gnat
803:Hawk
704:ISBN
616:ISBN
594:2011
561:ISBN
467:2011
292:The
225:had
149:tips
133:ribs
115:The
91:The
304:in
181:ash
155:or
846::
683:.
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641:.
602:^
575:^
529:^
519:.
513:.
492:.
486:.
443:^
404:12
312:.
280:.
101:UK
58:UK
755:e
748:t
741:v
712:.
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521:3
494:3
469:.
411::
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377:1
335:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
