Evans VP-2
Encyclopedia
Evans VP-1 Volksplane
-See also:...
, both of which were designed in La Jolla California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
by William Samuel Evans a design specialist with the aircraft company Convair
Convair
Convair was an American aircraft manufacturing company which later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of Vultee Aircraft and Consolidated Aircraft, and went on to produce a number of pioneering aircraft, such as the Convair B-36 bomber, and the F-102...
.
Background
Work on the design of the VP-1, was completed between 1966 and 1968, the intention being that the design would be simple to build for a novice working from home. The design was successful and following a first flight in September 1968 a large number of aircraft have been constructed by homebuilders. The aircraft are powered by converted Volkswagen air cooled engineVolkswagen air cooled engine
The Volkswagen air-cooled engine is an air-cooled boxer engine with four horizontally opposed cast iron cylinders, cast aluminium alloy cylinder heads and pistons, magnesium crankcase, and forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods....
s.
The VP-1 is a single seat open cockpit low-wing monoplane manufactured from Spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
and plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
with fabric
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
covered wings. Performance is typically a cruise speed of 75 mph and a stall speed of 40 mph.
Following the success of the VP-1 a two seat variant, the VP-2 was designed and the first example flew in 1971. The VP-2 is externally similar in appearance to the VP-1 but with a wider fuselage to accommodate two side by side seats. The aircraft is 1 foot longer and has a 3 foot addition to wingspan.
Preserved examples
An Evans VP-1 is preserved at the AviodromeAviodrome
The Nationaal Luchtvaart-Themapark Aviodrome is a large aerospace museum in The Netherlands that has been located on Lelystad Airport since 2003.-History:...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, an Evans VP-2 is preserved at the City of Norwich Aviation Museum
City of Norwich Aviation Museum
The City of Norwich Aviation Museum is a volunteer run museum and charitable trust dedicated to the preservation of the aviation history of the county of Norfolk, England. The museum is located on the northern edge of Norwich International Airport and is reached by road through the village of...
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.