Wainfan
FMX-4 Facetmobile
The Wainfan FMX-4 Facetmobile was an unusual one-of-a-kind homebuilt
aircraft designed by Barnaby Wainfan, a Northrop Grumman aerodynamicist.
The Wainfan Facetmobile is a lifting body aircraft, meaning that the
whole aircraft acts as one giant wing. It is also unusual in the fact
it is made up of 11 flat surfaces, rather than a continuously curving
body.
The wing section is much thicker than conventional light aircraft.
It was constructed using 6061 aluminium tubing for the main structure.
The skin of the aircraft is a fabric covering. Control of the aircraft
is accomplished though elevons and rudders.
Interestingly, as well as the five large windows surrounding the cockpit,
there are a further two in the floor of the aircraft. Access to the
single-seat cockpit is through a hatch in the bottom of the aircraft.
Powering the Wainfan Facetmobile is a 50 horsepower Rotax 503 DC engine
driving a 3-bladed propeller. Top speed of the aircraft was 110 mph,
with a stall speed of just 33 mph.
Only one example of the Wainfan Facetmobile was ever built, and this
was grounded after an engine failure in 1995 forced Barnaby Wainfan
to crash land the aircraft in a field causing extensive damage to
the skin, engine and structure. Wainfan was unharmed.
Both a two-seat and unmanned version of the aircraft have been proposed,
but neither project has been realized.
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