Pilatus SB-1

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The Pilatus SB-1 was a development project of the Swiss company Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG and the ETH Zurich, but of which no aircraft was built. The name Pilatus SB-1 consists of the manufacturer of the aircraft, the Pilatus aircraft factory, the abbreviation SB stands for Swiss Bergflugzeug (Mountain Aircraft)

History== The project SB-1 was intended as a pure experimental aircraft, a commercial use was not provided. The SB-1 was meant to be a mid-wing aircraft with space for a pilot and an observer to sit side by side in the cockpit, and two passengers directly behind it. The pilot and passenger compartment was in front of the wing. The hull should consist largely of covered tubular steel grate. The aircraft should be powered by a single motor located at the center of gravity of the fuselage below the wing box. The positioning of the engine significantly limited the size of the cargo hold, which was located above the wing box. On the unpiled wings, a two-bladed propeller should be driven by V-belts and idlers. Due to the installation of the engine in the fuselage and the transmission of power by V-belt, low air resistance was hoped for at the same time favorable low-speed flight characteristics due to the air flow of the propellers acting directly on the leading edge of the wing. The aircraft was designed as a mid-plane with a rigid tail wheel gear and conventional tail. It was also made the idea to install in the same interpretation, two engines in the fuselage. So every propeller is powered by its own engine. However, a clutch was provided so that the failure of an engine, the power of the still functioning engine could be placed on both propellers. However, the concept with the engine in the middle of the fuselage and the transmission of power via V-belts or straps did not prove to be useful in the long term. As a result, the project was terminated and the SB-2 developed. When planning the SB-1 was not yet determined who should build the aircraft, so it is not very clear if it really would have been built by Pilatus. The Farnerwerke were also considered as a producer. However, there is a good chance that the SB-1, like the Pilatus SB-2 and the planned Pilatus SB-5, would have been built at Pilatus. ==

"SB" projects
* The project SB-2 was intended as a stol aircraft, commercial use was planned, one aircraft was build. * Nothing is known about any designs with the names SB-3 and SB-4. * The Pilatus SB-5 was a project for an enlarged version of the Pilatus SB-2.