Abbott-Baynes Scud 2

Scud 2
Scud II on display at the Shuttleworth Collection.
Role	Single seat sailplane
National origin	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	Abbott-Baynes Sailplanes Ltd
Designer	L. E. Baynes
First flight	27 August 1932
Status	1 still flying
Number built	at least 5
Unit cost	£150 ex-works 1932

The Abbott-Baynes Scud 2 was a 1930s high-performance sailplane, built in the UK. It was a development of the intermediate-level Scud 1 with a new, high aspect ratio wing.

The Scud 2 was a development of the single seat, parasol winged intermediate-level Abbott-Baynes Scud 1 glider flown a year earlier. The two aircraft were both designed by L. E. Baynes and had many common features but the Scud 2 has a wing of much higher aspect ratio, intended for serious rather than introductory soaring. The wing loading is 3.5 lb/ft² (17.1 kg/m²), similar to that of the Scud 1.

Like its predecessor, the Scud 2 is a wooden aircraft. Its parasol wing is of single spar construction, with straight, swept leading edges and unswept trailing edges outboard of a short parallel chord centre section. This wing has an aspect ratio of 16, more than twice that of the Scud 1. It carries outboard ailerons but there are no flaps or airbrakes. The wing is supported by two parallel pairs of thin lift struts from the mid-fuselage longerons to centre section mounting points.

The Scud 2, though 1.25 m longer and consequentially slimmer, has the same fuselage construction as the Scud 1 with four ash longerons orientated with one diagonal vertical. It was plywood skinned throughout, though with a break for the under-wing open cockpit. The upper longeron load is carried across the cockpit break via the wing structure by two pairs of struts, one well forward and one well aft of the cockpit, to the lift strut mounting points on the wing spars, together with a near vertical pair just behind the cockpit. The tail unit is similar to that of the Scud 1 with three identical and interchangeable surfaces acting as all-moving elevators and rudder. These have straight leading edges but smoothly rounded trailing edges, unlike the angular rear edges on the Scud 1. A landing skid extends from the nose to below the wing trailing edge, with a wire loop as a tail skid.