Mississippi State University XV-11 Marvel
| XV-11 Marvel | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Role | STOL research aircraft |
| National origin | United States of America |
| Manufacturer | Mississippi State University |
| First flight | December 1, 1965 |
| Primary user | United States Army |
| Number built | 1 |
| Developed from | AZ-1 Marvelette |
The Mississippi State University XV-11A Marvel was an experimental American STOL research aircraft of the 1960s. The MARVEL (Mississippi Aerophysics Research Vehicle with Extended Latitude) was a single-engined pusher monoplane fitted with a boundary layer control system. The first all-composite aircraft, it carried out its initial program of research on behalf of the US Army in the late 1960s, and was rebuilt in the 1980s as a proof-of-concept for a utility aircraft.
The Department of Astrophysics and Aerospace Engineering at the Mississippi State University had been involved in a program of research into boundary layer control on behalf of the Office of Naval Research and the US Army since the early 1950s, carrying out trials on a modified Schweizer TG-3 glider, a Piper L-21 and a Cessna O-1. Based on the results of these studies, the US Army awarded the Department a contract to develop a new STOL research aircraft the XV-11 MARVEL ("Mississippi Aerophysics Research Vehicle, Extended Latitude").
The resultant design was a shoulder-winged monoplane powered by a single Allison T63 turboprop engine driving a pusher ducted propeller. The aircraft's structure was made completely of fiberglass, making the Marvel the first example of an all-composite aircraft. The boundary layer control system used a blower driven by the engine to draw suction through more than one million tiny holes in the wings and fuselage, while instead of conventional flaps the Marvel used a form of wing warping to deflect the wing trailing edges to vary the wing's camber. The aircraft's tail surfaces were attached to the duct around the propeller, extending behind the duct. The undercarriage, of the so-called "Pantobase" configuration, with tandem wheels fitted within two sprung wooden pontoons, was meant to allow operation from rough surfaces, or even from water. It was constructed mainly of fiberglass, with steel used for reinforcement and as heat shields around the engine.
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