Applebay Sailplanes GA-111 Mescalero Glider

Additional Information:

Applebay Sailplanes was an aircraft manufacturer founded by George Applebay and based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of ready-to-fly certified sailplanes as well as some experimental models. George Applebay’s first sailplane design that was constructed is the Applebay GA-II Chiricahua that was first flown in 1970. The aircraft was a wood and fabric glider but only one Chiricahua was eventually built. In 1975 he designed and flew a prototype of the Applebay GA-111 Mescalero, a metal and fiberglass FAI Open Class glider. Although the Mescalero was targeted for production, Applebay decided to concentrate on his next design, the all-fiberglass Zuni and only one Mescalero was ever completed.

The Applebay GA-111 Mescalero is an American high-wing, T-tailed single-seat, FAI Open Class glider. The Mescalero aircraft was designed by George Applebay for submission to the Soaring Society of America’s 1970 Sailplane Design Competition. The competition was cancelled and the glider was not completed until January 1975. The aircraft is named for the Mescalero Apache tribe.

The Mescalero is a mostly composite construction with the wing constructed from metal and fiberglass and the fuselage and tail an entirely fiberglass structure. The 72 foot long wing is built in two pieces and the aircraft could be assembled once out of the trailer in just ten minutes.

This Mescalero was one of the first gliders to be designed and built in Albuquerque. Even though only one production model was built, the aircraft help produce the superior next generation Zuni sailplane, Most of the glider flying in the Albuquerque area is conducted east of the city at the Moriarty Municipal Airport.

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