The Beaufort Gliding Club Zephyrus, designed to American standards, is a two place, high-wing, strutted monoplane. It was originally designed as a single-seat glider in Melbourne during the late 1940's by club member Douglas Lyon. The design was modified to a high-performance two-seat configuration in 1951 and construction was commenced by the Beaufort Gliding Club shortly thereafter. Declining membership in the fifties delayed construction and it was not until 1966 that the glider first flew. It has a fuselage of steel tube framework covered with fabric. The wings are of glued wooden construction and have a single main spar. This spar is continuous and straight between the wing root and the wing tip. Casein glue has been used throughout the wing and the timbers used have been spruce for solid sections and birch for plys. A rear false spar carries the aileron along its outer portion. A drag spar runs between the rear fuselage attachment fitting and the strut attachment fitting on the main spar. An unusual feature is that the rear cockpit is accessed through a hinged door on the starboard side. The Zephyrus soars well and has made many good cross-country flights including several in excess of 300 kms. In 1988 the Zephyrus was placed first on handicap in the Australian National Two-Seat Championships, flying against the more modern Janus and Twin Astir sailplanes. (From the Beaufort Gliding Club website.)
