Article published on March 18, 2021 by David Dagouret
The aircraft, classified as a historic monument, has arrived at the Air Passion space of the Angers Aviation Museum.
The Angers Aviation Museum has announced the arrival of a new aircraft in the exhibition hall, the Leduc RL-21, an aircraft classified as a historic monument. After loaning it to the Aéroscope in Nantes, the Leduc family has just entrusted it to Espace Air Passion.
René Leduc is originally from the Pays de Loire, and more precisely from the Pays de Retz (44). In 1925, he graduated first from his aviation course in Angers. From 1927, he produced several aircraft including the RL.16 which broke two altitude records.
Many years later, he built the RL.21 in his dining room. After 12,000 hours of work, it is through the window of the apartment on rue des Martyrs (in Nantes) that we take out this sports plane! Due to his limited budget, René Leduc could not acquire a modern and light engine, but only a fairly heavy second-hand engine.
In order to stay in the 500 kg category, René Leduc opted for a wing with a mast (to reduce effort and thus save weight) and a fixed landing gear. From Nantes, the racer will beat in turn, 7 world speed records for light aircraft with the
pilot Raymond Davy at the controls. On October 13, 1960, in a closed circuit, it flew at 316 km / h.
After pushing the engine to 160 horsepower and waiting several days for a favorable weather window, the two previous records improved. 334 km / h (-500 kg category) and 332 km / h (- 1000 kg category). René Leduc made aerodynamic modifications to his aircraft: better profiled canopy, lowered landing gear, rounded tips. New attempts increased speed and broke new world records on June 14 and December 24, 1966.
With a wingspan of 6.10 m and a length of 6.90 m, the RL.21 weighs 390 kg empty. It is powered by a Régnier 4 LOO engine of 135 hp. Its cruising speed is 310 km / h and its maximum speed is 340 km / h. It is the fourth aircraft classified as a historic monument at Espace Air Passion.
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