English Electric Wren

Name: English Electric Wren
Brand: Rara-Avis Sims
Price: 12.99 USD
Rating: 4.5 (19 reviews)

Rara-Avis Sims

MOTOR GLIDERHISTORICULTRALIGHTLYMPNE TRIALSENGLISH ELECTRIC

4.5/5 (19)

USD 12.99

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Added: November 9, 2023
Updated: June 13, 2024

The Wren, designed by W. O. Manning, was a lightweight motor-glider. Manning was a designer of flying boats and decided to try a simpler project.

The Wren was a single-engined high-wing monoplane with an empty weight of only 232 lb (105 kg). The first aircraft (Serial Number J6973) was built in 1921 for the Air Ministry. Interest in building very light aircraft was encouraged at the time by a £500 prize offered by the Duke of Sutherland (who was the Under-Secretary of State for Air).

The entrants had to build the most economical light single-seat aircraft. Another incentive was a £1,000 prize offered by the Daily Mail for the longest flight by a motor-glider with an engine of not more than 750 cc. Two aircraft were built for the 1923 Lympne light aircraft trials in October 1923.

The Wren shared the first prize with the ANEC I when it covered 87.5 miles (140.8 km) on one Imperial gallon (4.5 litres) of fuel.

In 1957 the third aircraft was rebuilt using parts of the second aircraft. It is still airworthy and is on public display at the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden Aerodrome in Bedfordshire.

. 3D model built from scratch . 3D propeller blur . Custom engine sounds from the real aircraft . Custom dirt/grime decals . Eleven paints (Eight fictional, but in keeping with the era) . Three different rudder configurations . Hidden GPS and Radio stack . Three launch methods (Tow, winch, and standard take-off) winch and tow were never an option but it has been bungeed . Fully VR compatible . Animated clipboard with "pilots notes" . Full PBR textures . Engine vibration animations . Engine pushrod animations . Landing gear bungee animations . Tail skid animations . Custom bump mapping of wing ribs and internal structure . Pocket compass with pitch and roll animations . Oil pulsator (visual only) . Custom cockpit gauges . ABC engine made from scratch . Animated control cables (internal & external) . Propeller click starter . Accurate interior modelling (Access to the real plane, Shuttleworth Collection) . 100 Years old (October 1923)

Please choose your preferred launch method before launching the flight.

Flight model should be set to "MODERN" in the settings menu

The Wren is a single-engine, single-seat, high-wing monoplane developed and manufactured by the English Electric Company Limited of England. The aircraft, best described as a motorized glider due to its light weight and flying characteristics, took its first flight on April 5, 1923. English Electric built a total of three of the airframe.

The Wren was inspired by a request by England’s Air Ministry for a lightweight, single-seat training aircraft. Constructed of wood with fabric covering, the Wren features an open cockpit, a standard empennage, and a traditional undercarriage comprising small main wheels located on the fuselage and a tail skid. It is powered by a single 3-horsepower ABC 2-cylinder engine, similar to those used in motorcycles at the time of its design. The engine drives a fixed-pitch, 2-blade wood propeller. The aircraft weighs just 232 pounds empty.

The Wren measures 24 feet, 3 inches in length, stands 4 feet, 9 inches tall, and has a wingspan of 37 feet. With a fuel capacity of one gallon, it has a range of 88 miles and a flight duration of 1 hour, 30 minutes. It has a top speed of 50 miles per hour and was flown to an altitude of 250 feet above ground level.