View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MZ5cduLMTE&t=185s
We flew the Brazilian super machine, the Schubert P1 Glider!
A two-seat glider for basic and advanced pilot training, designed by Brazilian aeronautical engineer Ekkehard Schubert, has already been tested and approved as a safe aircraft. The initiative to build the P-1 began six years ago, when the aircraft designer managed to gather 66 people who were willing to cover the costs of building the prototype and also participate in the project's development. Since then, more than US$80,000 has been invested in the P-1, and many weekends have been dedicated to its construction. Schubert, who has been flying gliders for almost 30 years and was a ten-time Brazilian champion in the free-flight class, says the P-1 is extremely docile and has excellent performance for its category.
"The idea to build it came about because there is a shortage of two-seat gliders in Brazil," says Schubert, who works at Eleb, a subsidiary of Embraer. The designer describes the P-1 as a modern glider, with more convenient aerodynamic shapes because it is made entirely of fiberglass, an easily molded material. Glider flight is achieved by leveraging only air movement. Therefore, to take off, it needs to be towed by an airplane for about 1,000 meters from the runway, after which it is released to remain in the air for hours. Schubert explains that when he decided to move forward with the glider construction project, he also committed to obtaining aeronautical certification, which is already required from the Industrial Development Institute (IFI).
"The fact that the glider is already flying is just the first step of all we must take to certify the P-1. Now we will build a second prototype to obtain this certification, which should occur within two to three years," he explains. Once the entire process is complete, Schubert will seek financing to bring the P-1 to market, to compete with imported gliders, which cost around US$45,000. "If the glider can be made cheaper, it will be an advantage for Brazilian gliders," says the designer. Therefore, among his plans is to sell the P-1 in kit form, with technical assistance for assembly.
Um planador de dois lugares para a instrução básica e avançada de pilotos, projetado pelo engenheiro aeronáutico brasileiro Ekkehard Schubert, já foi testado e aprovado como aeronave segura. A iniciativa de construir o P-1 surgiu há seis anos, quando o projetista de aviões conseguiu reunir 66...
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