The OpenSky M-02/M-02j is a Japanese primary glider/jet-powered motor glider inspired by the Möwe aircraft flown by the protagonist in the Hayao Miyazaki anime Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The project is led by artist Kazuhiko Hachiya and design by Satoru Shinohe and manufactured by Aircraft Olympos.
source.image: kazuhiko hachiya
It is a tail-less design intended to be powered on take off and climb for a duration of 10 minutes, then flown unpowered as a glider. The glider had a wingspan of 9.6 m, and a fuselage pod length of 2.1 m.
source.image: kazuhiko hachiya
Much of the airframe consisted of fiber-reinforced plastic with a wooden skeleton, keeping the entire structure at a relatively light 66 kg.
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Performance
- Maximum speed: 70 km/h (43 mph, 38 kn) (M-02); 90 km/h (56 mph; 49 kn) (M-02J)
- Cruise speed: 60–80 km/h (37–50 mph, 32–43 kn) (M-02J)
- Stall speed: 36 km/h (22 mph, 19 kn) (M-02); 43 km/h (27 mph; 23 kn) (M-02J)
- Never exceed speed: 120 km/h (75 mph, 65 kn)
One pilot can lay down in the middle of the craft on a harness and adjust its pitch and steers the aircraft by shifting his or her weight in the desired direction.
2003, when Hachiya started the “OpenSky” project, after spending a long time of 10 years designing and experimenting with gliders, the M-02J equipped with a jet engine succeeded in flying on its own, and the aircraft number was approved. After that, M-02J repeated flight tests, and in 2019, succeeded in the flight in the United States, which was set as an extra goal.
