M.Hardy. Gliders & Sailplanes of the world

Valentin Taifun

  The Taifun two-seater motor glider was designed by Thomas Fischer and Dipl-Ing Jorg B. Stieber for Valentin GmbH Gerate und Maschinenbau, makers of high-quality aircraft switches. The prototype, a Taifun 17E registered D-KONO, made its first flight late in February 1981, when more than 25 had been ordered; construction of the prototype had begun in July 1979. Four versions of the Taifun will be produced: the Taifun 15S is the basic model with 15m span wings and a fixed tailwheel undercarriage, the Taifun 17S has the same undercarriage as the 15S and 17m span wings, the Taifun 15E has 15m span wings and a retractable nosewheel undercarriage, and the Taifun 17E has the same undercarriage as the 15E but has 17m span wings. The Taifun is a cantilever low wing monoplane with a T-tail; the one-spar wings and ailerons are of glassfibre/foam sandwich construction, with all-glassfibre flaps. The wings can be folded flat along the fuselage for easier hangar stowage, and Schempp-Hirth air brakes are fitted in their upper surfaces. The stressed skin fuselage is also a glassfibre/foam sandwich structure as are the fixed-incidence tailplane and elevator. All versions have disc brakes on the main wheels, and the nosewheel of the 15E and 17E is steerable; the undercarriage of both these variants is fully enclosed when retracted. The pilots are seated side-by-side under the rear-sliding canopy, with dual controls as standard. Engine is an 80hp Limbach L2000 EB 'flat four' driving a Hoffman HO-V62 three-position two-bladed propeller.


Data: Taifun 15E
Span: Taifun 15E, 15S 49 ft 2 1/2 in
   Taifun 17E, 17S 55 ft 9 1/4 in
Length: 25 ft 6 1/2 in
Height: 7 ft 1 in
Wing area: Taifun 15E, 15S 176.0 sqft
   Taifun 17E, 17S 189.4 sq ft
Aspect ratio: Taifun 15E, 15S 13.8
   Taifun 17E,17S 16.4
Empty weight: 1,058 lb
Max take-off weight: 1,598 lb
Max speed: 165 mph (in smooth air)
Max cruising speed: 132 mph
Min sinking speed: 3.25 ft/sec at 54 mph
Best glide ratio: 28:1 at 75 mph
Max rate of climb: 531 ft/min at sea level
Range with max fuel: 652 miles