Fournier RF 4

RF 4
	RF 4D
Role	motor glider
National origin	France
Manufacturer	Alpavia / Sportavia-Pützer
Designer	René Fournier
Introduction	1966
Number built	159
Developed from	Fournier RF 3

The Fournier RF 4 is a single-seater motor glider designed by René Fournier in 1966. It is an aerobatic version of the Fournier RF 3.^[1]^[2]

Design and development

Conceived as a motor glider and sport touring aircraft, the RF 4 was introduced in 1966. It is of all-wood construction and is fully aerobatic. The landing gear consists of a monowheel gear which retracts forward into a fibreglass cowling. The main wheel has a brake which is manually operated. There is a small steerable tailwheel and wing-mounted outrigger wheels.^[3]

Operational history

An RF 4D was flown by Mira Slovak across the Atlantic Ocean while participating in the May 1969 Daily Mail Air Race. The flight won a £1,000 prize offered by the London Evening News for the best performance in the race by an aircraft under 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) gross take-off weight.^[3] The main landing gear fork is an ongoing maintenance issue, with regular replacements needed.^[4]

Variants

RF 4: Prototype aerobatic variant of the RF 3, three-built by Alpavia
RF 4D: Production variant, 155 built in Germany by Sportavia-Putzer, D was for Deutschland. 16 shipped to America^[5]

Specifications (RF 4D)

Sportavia Fournier RF 4D

Data from In the Air:Number 230:Fournier RF 4D and Plane and Pilot^[3]^[6]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 6.05 m (19 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 11.28 m (37 ft 0 in)
Height: 1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)
Wing area: 11.3 m² (122 sq ft)
Aspect ratio: 11.2
Empty weight: 270 kg (595 lb)
Gross weight: 390 kg (860 lb)
Fuel capacity: 38 litres (8.4 imp gal; 10 US gal)
Powerplant: 1 × Rectimo 4 AR 1200 (VW) air-cooled flat-four piston engine, 29 kW (39 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed Hoffmann, 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in) diameter

Performance

Maximum speed: 196 km/h (122 mph, 106 kn)
Cruise speed: 180 km/h (110 mph, 96 kn)
Stall speed: 74 km/h (46 mph, 40 kn)
Never exceed speed: 249 km/h (155 mph, 135 kn)
Range: 640 km (400 mi, 350 nmi)
Endurance: 4
Service ceiling: 5,800 m (19,000 ft)
g limits: 11
Maximum glide ratio: 20:1
Rate of climb: 3.5 m/s (690 ft/min)
Wing loading: 34.5 kg/m² (7.1 lb/sq ft)

References

^ ^a ^b pilotfriend.com: Fournier aircraft history, performance and specifications - accessed 13 March 2008
^ Sailplane Directory: Fournier RF 5 Archived 2015-11-12 at the Wayback Machine - accessed 13 March 2008
^ ^a ^b ^c Plane and Pilot: 1978 Aircraft Directory, page 73. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. ISBN 0-918312-00-0
^ Jack Lambie (October 1979). "Cross Country in a Fournier Motor Glider". Air Progress: 50.
^ Dann PArks (July 2014). "Switching to Glide". Sport Aviation: 96.
^ Harrison 1968, pp. 669–670.

Harrison, Neil. "In the Air:Number 230:Fournier RF 4D". Flight International, 2 May 1968. pp. 669–670.

[pf-1] tfriend.com: Fournier aircraft history, performance and specifications - accessed 13 March 2008

[sd-2] Sailplane Directory: Fournier RF 5 Archived 2015-11-12 at the Wayback Machine - accessed 13 March 2008

[Plane_and_Pilot-3] Plane and Pilot: 1978 Aircraft Directory, page 73. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. ISBN 0-918312-00-0

[4] Jack Lambie (October 1979). "Cross Country in a Fournier Motor Glider". Air Progress: 50.

[5] Dann PArks (July 2014). "Switching to Glide". Sport Aviation: 96.

[In_the_air-6] Harrison 1968, pp. 669–670.

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