| http://www.survol.cjb.net |
 Introduction
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AV-1 / AV-2 / AV-3
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| The AV-2 equipped with a pylon engine | ||
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| The AV-3 on a test flight in Le Pyla | ||
| (click on the pictures to enlarge them in a new window) | ||
Following his experiments and observations at Vauville in the 1920's (see his separate biography), Charles Fauvel decided, after having obtained a patent on his formula for the flying wing, to put into work a prototype incorporating his theories. The designation was AV-2 ("AV" for Aile Volante, French for Flying Wing), the AV-1 having been intended only as the model to study the formula in laboratory studies. The construction of the AV-2 started about the year 1932, and the work was performed at the Guerchais factory. Equipped with a self-stabilizing airfoil designed and drawn by Georges Abrial, this aircraft was aimed at amateur pilots of motorized flight as well the glider pilot. The engine, mounted on a pylon on top of the back of the fuselage, could be disassembled from the craft in a few minutes to transform the plane into a pure glider.
With the unexpected bankruptcy of the Guerchais enterprise and the end of financial support from the main investor, the Makhonine company, the development of the AV-2 stopped and was ultimately never finished. In a parallel effort, Charles Fauvel designed another prototype, a pure glider designated the AV-3. Thanks to the financial support of friends (former squadron friends), he was able to construct and test the AV-3, making the first flights in 1933 from the La Banne d'Ordanches airfield. He also allowed a famous glider pilot, Eric Nessler, to fly the glider, who confessed that he was very much impressed by Fauvel's flying wing formula. The AV-3 was destroyed in 1936, when the aircraft hangar where it had been stored for the winter was virtually destroyed by a storm that took off the roof. This allowed rain to fall in torrents on the glider for more than a week and the water caused too much damage to consider repair. The AV-3 was the last pre-war glider of Charles Fauvel.
| Characteristics and performance of the AV-2 and AV-3 | ||
| (S.I units) | AV-2 | AV-3 |
| Wing span | 12.85 m | 12.90 m |
| Length | 3.60 m | 3.62 m |
| Wing area | 20 m2 | 20 m2 |
| Airfoil | Fauvel | Fauvel |
| Aspect ratio | 8.30 | 8.30 |
| Empty weight | 243 kg | 107 kg |
| Max speed (Vno) | 160 km/h | 250 km/h |
| Glide ratio | 19:1 | |
| Sink rate | 0.80 m/sec | |
