# Mitchell U-2 Superwing

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Ultralight aircraft

Mitchell U-2 Superwing A Mitchell U-2 superwing at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center General information Type Ultralight aircraft National origin United States Manufacturer Mitchell Wing Company Designer Don Mitchell Status Plans available History First flight 1980 Developed from Mitchell Wing B-10

The **Mitchell U-2 Superwing** is an American [tailless](/source/Tailless_aircraft) [ultralight aircraft](/source/Ultralight_aircraft) that was designed by [Don Mitchell](/source/Don_Mitchell_(aircraft_designer)) for [amateur construction](/source/Homebuilt_aircraft).[1]

## Design and development

Although the aircraft was designed before the US [FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles](/source/FAR_103_Ultralight_Vehicles) rules came into force, the U-2 Superwing complies with them anyway (including the category's maximum empty weight of 254 lb (115 kg)). The aircraft has a standard empty weight of 240 lb (109 kg). It features a cantilever [mid-wing](/source/Mid-wing), a single-seat enclosed cockpit, [tricycle landing gear](/source/Tricycle_landing_gear) and a single engine in [pusher configuration](/source/Pusher_configuration). The U-2 is a development of the [high-wing](/source/High-wing) [B-10](/source/Mitchell_Wing_B-10).[1]

The aircraft [fuselage](/source/Fuselage) is made from welded steel tube, while the wing is of wood and foam, with [doped](/source/Aircraft_dope) [aircraft fabric covering](/source/Aircraft_fabric_covering). Its 34 ft (10.4 m) span wing employs a modified Wortmann FX05-191 [airfoil](/source/Airfoil). The flight controls are unconventional; pitch and roll are controlled by [elevons](/source/Elevon) and yaw is controlled by the [wing tip](/source/Wing_tip) [rudders](/source/Rudder). The main landing gear has suspension and the nose wheel is steerable and equipped with a brake.[1][2]

The U-2 can accept a variety of engines ranging from 25 to 40 hp (19 to 30 kW) mounted in [pusher configuration](/source/Pusher_configuration).[3]

## Operational history

A pilot flying a U-2 set the World Record Altitude for Class C1 (single-engine land aircraft not exceeding 661 lb (299.8 kg) gross weight) in 1984 when he flew to 25,940 ft (7,906.5 m).[4]

## Specifications (U-2)

Mitchell U-2 Superwing

*Data from* Cliche[1]

**General characteristics**

- **Crew:** one

- **Wingspan:** 34 ft (10 m)

- **Wing area:** 136 sq ft (12.6 m2)

- **Empty weight:** 240 lb (109 kg)

- **Gross weight:** 550 lb (249 kg)

- **Fuel capacity:** 3 U.S. gallons (11 L; 2.5 imp gal)

- **Powerplant:** 1 × [Zenoah G25](/source/Zenoah_G25) , 20 hp (15 kW)

**Performance**

- **Stall speed:** 26 mph (42 km/h, 23 kn)

- **Range:** 180 mi (290 km, 160 nmi)

- **Maximum glide ratio:** 20:1 at 45 mph (72 km/h)

- **Rate of climb:** 400 ft/min (2.0 m/s)

- **Wing loading:** 4.04 lb/sq ft (19.7 kg/m2)

## See also

- [Ultralight aviation](/source/Ultralight_aviation)

- [Ultralight aircraft (United States)](/source/Ultralight_aircraft_(United_States))

**Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era**

- [Aériane Swift](/source/A%C3%A9riane_Swift)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Cliche_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Cliche_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Cliche_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Cliche_1-3) Cliche, Andre: *Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide* 8th Edition, page E-259. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-9680628-1-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-9680628-1-4)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Incomplete_2-0)** Lednicer, David (2010). ["The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100420012244/http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/aircraft.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/aircraft.html) on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-WDLA11_3-0)** Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: *World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12*, page 137. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Mitchell U-2 Superwing"](https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/mitchell-u-2-superwing/nasm_A19890117000). *National Air and Space Museum*. Retrieved 24 October 2025.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Mitchell U-2 Superwing](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Mitchell_U-2_Superwing).

- [US Pacific; Current supplier of Mitchell Wing plans](https://home.earthlink.net/~mitchellwing/)

- [AmeriPlanes former manufacturer of Mitchell Wing kits](https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.ameriplanes.com/) - website archives on [Archive.org](/source/Archive.org)

v t e Don Mitchell aircraft Aircraft A-10 B-10 Nimbus T-10 P-38 U-2 Companies AmeriPlanes Higher Planes Mitchell Aircraft Corporation MitchellWing Aircraft Company Mitchell Wing, Inc. Tulsa Mitchell Wing US Pacific

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mitchell U-2 Superwing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchell_U-2_Superwing) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchell_U-2_Superwing?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.