Fournier RF-6B performance and specifications

Fournier RF-6B

History

In December 1970 M. René Fournier began the design of a side-by-side two-seater with tricycle landing gear, a departure from his earlier ‘avion planeur’ series built by Alpavia in France and by Sportavia-Pützer in Germany.  This aircraft was designated RF-6 and was later developed into the four-seat Sportavia RS 180 Sportsman.

Fournier established his own organization, Avions Fournier, at Nitray, near Montlouis, and there developed a slight smaller and aerodynamically cleaner version, still seating two side-by-side but under a low-profile bubble canopy.  The prototype, first flown in 12 March 1974, was powered by a 90-hp (67-kW) Rolls-Royce 0-200-E engine driving a fixed-pitch metal propeller, and certification was achieved in April 1975 as the RF-6B.

The intended roles for the RF-6B were those of raining and aerobatics, and the wood and Dacron-covered structure was stressed limits of +6g and -3g.  On 4 March 1976 the first of five pre-production aircraft flew fort eh first time, powered by a 100-hp (75-kW) Rolls-Royce Continental 0-200-A engine with a fixed-pitch wooden propeller, as adopted for all subsequent production examples.

Production ceased after 45 RF-6Bs had been built, the last of these being a development aircraft with a 118-hp (88-kW) AVC Lycoming 0-development and production has been taken over by Slingsby Engineering in the UK, and the first British-built RF-6B was scheduled to fly in May 1981.  A small batch of wooden aircraft was fallowed by a glass fibre version.

Specifications

Type:   
Two-set aerobatic, touring and training monoplane.

Power plant:    
One 100-hp (75-kW) Rolls-Royce Continental 0-200-A flat-four piston engine.

Performance:   
Maximum speed 124 mph (200 km/h) at sea level; cruising speed 112 mph (180 km/h) (4000 m); range with maximum fuel 404 miles (650 km).

Weights:          
Empty 1,102 lb (500 kg); maximum take-off 1,653 lb (750 kg).

Dimensions:     
Span 34 ft 5 ˝ in (10.50 m);
length 22 ft 11 ľ in (7.00 m);
height 8 ft 3 in (2.52 m);
wing area 139.9 sq ft (13.00 m ˛)