damm1t
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2010
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Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, the THK-13 ...
In the 1940s, Turkey made a contribution to the flying-wing concept in aviation.
Future passenger aircraft will take to the skies with a flying-wing design. With their entire bodies in the shape of a wing, these aerodynamic planes will consume less fuel while carrying 800 passengers on intercontinental flights.
The history of flying-wing projects, led by NASA and conducted by Boeing and Airbus, dates back to the 1930s. Designs such as Horten, which Germans flew through installing first gliders and then engines, and American Northrop’s N-1M brought the aviation world to different dimensions.
Inspired by these works, Northrop initially developed the YB-35 and YB-49. The latest design was B-2 bombardment plane, which first flew in 1989.
Turkey also contributed into this concept in the 1940s, when the aviation world was in its infancy. A flying-wing glider named the THK-13 was designed and flown at an aircraft factory of the Turkish Aviation Board, or THK. If this project could have been developed, the THK-13 models with airscrews and jet engines would have been manufactured as well.
This interesting design was taken from the dusty shelves of the Turkish aviation industry and brought to light by Mustafa Kılıç. Having found the manuscript memoirs of Yavuz Kansu, the chief engineer of the project, Kılıç collected his works in a book titled “Uçan Kanat THK-13” (Flying Wing THK-13).
Early Models
How it all started
Kansu, a senior engineer who returned to his position at the THK Plane Factory at the end of 1947 after doing his military service, expressed to the management his desire to develop a different plane. Following the end of World War II, Polish engineers working at the factory began to return to their countries. The low-cost “flying wing” project was expected to attract the attention of the international aviation industry and reveal the capabilities of Turkish engineers as well.
The main design and technical calculations were completed rapidly. The flying wing was named THK-13, as it was the 13th project of the factory. The glider would be made out of wood so as to be light. The cockpit, which included one pilot seat, had an open roof. Just below, it had the main landing gear. The glider was designed in such a way to take off by being pulled by another plane or a car. The necessary tests for the model were conducted on the THK-5 plane and the manufacturing process was launched.
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Thanks to @UkroTurk for taking it out of archieves
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The father of aviation in Turkey; Vecihi Hürkuş
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vecihi_Hürkuş
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There are some myths & facts about why Turkey has stopped producing aircrafts like Marshall Plan. If they would have continued in 30' 40' probably we would have flied with 5th gen fighter already. Turkish aviation history really long and heartbreaking.
In the 1940s, Turkey made a contribution to the flying-wing concept in aviation.
Future passenger aircraft will take to the skies with a flying-wing design. With their entire bodies in the shape of a wing, these aerodynamic planes will consume less fuel while carrying 800 passengers on intercontinental flights.
The history of flying-wing projects, led by NASA and conducted by Boeing and Airbus, dates back to the 1930s. Designs such as Horten, which Germans flew through installing first gliders and then engines, and American Northrop’s N-1M brought the aviation world to different dimensions.
Inspired by these works, Northrop initially developed the YB-35 and YB-49. The latest design was B-2 bombardment plane, which first flew in 1989.
Turkey also contributed into this concept in the 1940s, when the aviation world was in its infancy. A flying-wing glider named the THK-13 was designed and flown at an aircraft factory of the Turkish Aviation Board, or THK. If this project could have been developed, the THK-13 models with airscrews and jet engines would have been manufactured as well.
This interesting design was taken from the dusty shelves of the Turkish aviation industry and brought to light by Mustafa Kılıç. Having found the manuscript memoirs of Yavuz Kansu, the chief engineer of the project, Kılıç collected his works in a book titled “Uçan Kanat THK-13” (Flying Wing THK-13).
Early Models
How it all started
Kansu, a senior engineer who returned to his position at the THK Plane Factory at the end of 1947 after doing his military service, expressed to the management his desire to develop a different plane. Following the end of World War II, Polish engineers working at the factory began to return to their countries. The low-cost “flying wing” project was expected to attract the attention of the international aviation industry and reveal the capabilities of Turkish engineers as well.
The main design and technical calculations were completed rapidly. The flying wing was named THK-13, as it was the 13th project of the factory. The glider would be made out of wood so as to be light. The cockpit, which included one pilot seat, had an open roof. Just below, it had the main landing gear. The glider was designed in such a way to take off by being pulled by another plane or a car. The necessary tests for the model were conducted on the THK-5 plane and the manufacturing process was launched.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to @UkroTurk for taking it out of archieves
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The father of aviation in Turkey; Vecihi Hürkuş
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vecihi_Hürkuş
----------------------------------------------------------------------
There are some myths & facts about why Turkey has stopped producing aircrafts like Marshall Plan. If they would have continued in 30' 40' probably we would have flied with 5th gen fighter already. Turkish aviation history really long and heartbreaking.
