M.Hardy. Gliders & Sailplanes of the world

Schleicher AS-W 12

  This Open Class single-seater has one of the best performances of any production sailplane today, and was designed by Gerhard Waibel - hence the 'W' in its designation - as a production development of the Akaflieg Darmstadt ДальшеMore>>> D-36 Circe, in the design of which Waibel had also participated, and which had won the 1964 German National championships. The prototype AS-W 12 was built by Edgar Kramer, who made the first flight in it on 31 December 1965, and the type has since achieved a number of important competition victories and record-breaking flights. In 1969 W. Scott of the USA set a new world goal flight record of 600 miles in an AS-W 12, and in 1970 Hans Werner Grosse of West Germany became one of the few pilots to make a flight of 1,000km (621 miles), also in an AS-W 12; on 25 April 1972 he set a world record for distance in a straight line by flying 907.7 miles. Grosse was also runner up in the Open Class of the 1970 World Championships at Marfa, Texas, in which five of the first nine places in this class were taken by AS-W 12s. Of glassfibre reinforced plastic/balsa sandwich construction, the AS-W 12 has cantilever shoulder wings of high aspect ratio (25.8) and with full-span camber-changing flaps interconnected with the ailerons. There are no air brakes, and an unjettisonable tail braking parachute is the only means of reducing the approach speed when landing, a fact that demands some care in piloting. The monocoque fuselage is similar in outline to that of the D-36 Circe, and the pilot sits in a semi-reclining position under a long flush-fitting two-piece cockpit canopy. Landing gear consists of a large retractable unsprung monowheel with brake, plus a tailskid, and a small fixed-incidence tailplane and elevators are mounted on top of the fin.


Span : 60 ft 0 1/2 in
Length: 24 ft 1 1/2 in
Height: 5 ft 3 3/4 in
Wing area: 140 sqft
Aspect ratio: 25.8
Empty weight: 650 lb
Max weight: 948 lb
Max speed: 124 mph
Min sinking speed: 1.6 ft/sec at 45 mph
Best glide ratio: 47:1 at 59 mph



Schleicher AS-W 15

  This high performance Standard Class single-seater was designed by Dipl-Ing Gerhard Waibel, who had been responsible for the AS-W 12, and is of glassfibre/foam sandwich construction. It first flew in prototype form in April 1968, and initially had a fixed monowheel and fairing which could be converted into a retractable one for Open Class competitions, but after this requirement was relaxed the retractable wheel became standard. The AS-W 15B introduced a number of improvements, including a larger monowheel, a strengthened fuselage keel, a larger rudder, a lengthened cockpit and - as an optional 'extra' - two 40 litre water ballast tanks; the all-up weight was increased. A total of 447 AS-W 15s of all versions had been built by January 1977, and production has now ended. The type made its competition debut at the 1968 World Championships at Leszno in Poland, when an AS-W 15 flown by Hans-Werner Grosse of Germany came 10th in the Standard Class. The AS-W 15 resembles the AS-W 12 externally except for an all-moving tailplane set low on the fin, and the cantilever shoulder wings have a glassfibre roving spar and a glassfibre/balsa sandwich torsion box; the Schempp-Hirth air brakes are spring-sealed in separate boxes to preserve the streamlining, and the ailerons are of glassfibre/foam sandwich construction. The fuselage is a glassfibre/honeycomb sandwich structure, and ease of rigging is ensured by using tongue-fork connections for the wings, secured by two bolts. The tailplane is similar in construction to the wing, while the fin is similar structurally to the fuselage and the rudder has the same structure as the ailerons. The monowheel is retracted manually by means of push-pull rods, and has an internal drum brake. The pilot sits in a semi-reclining seat under a large flush-fitting one-piece canopy, and his rudder pedals are adjustable in flight.
  In 1976 an AS-W 15B was fitted with a 30hp Wankel KM 27 300cc rotating piston engine by Ing Joseph Vonderau of Fichtel & Sachs System-Technik. In this form it was known as the AS-W 15M, and a 4.4 Imp gallon fuel tank was installed.


Span: 49 ft 2 1/2 in
Length: 21 ft 3 in
Height: 4 ft 9 in
Wing area: 118.4 sq ft
Aspect ratio: 20.45
Empty weight: 507 lb
Max weight: 899 lb
Max speed: 136.7 mph
Max aero-tow speed: 90 mph
Min sinking speed: 1.9 ft/sec at 45.5 mph
Best glide ratio: 38:1 at 55.9 mph



Schleicher AS-W 17

  Also known as the Super Orchidee, this Open Class single-seater of exceptionally high performance was designed by Dipl-Ing Gerhard Waibel as a development of the AS-W 12. It first flew in prototype form on 17 July 1971 and 52 AS-W 17s had been built by January 1977; production has now ceased. Of similar appearance to the AS-W 12 except for a shorter cockpit canopy and a taller fin and rudder with low-set tailplane, the AS-W 17 is of similar glassfibre sandwich construction, and has cantilever shoulder wings of 20m span built in four pieces to limit dimensions for rigging, transport in a trailer and storage. The modified Wortmann wing section is thicker than the AS-W 12's to enable up to 220lb of water ballast to be carried in wing tanks, and there are large Schempp-Hirth aluminium air brakes in both the upper and lower surfaces. The camber-changing flaps are interconnected with the ailerons. The fuselage structure is a two-skin glassfibre sandwich of a special plastic hexcell monocoque, and tailplane and elevators are set low on the slightly swept fin. The landing gear consists of a retractable sprung monowheel, and the pilot sits in a semi-reclining seat under a flush-fitting one-piece canopy, the nose tapering to a point. The AS-W 17 soon made its mark in competition flying, coming second in the Open Class in the 1972 World Championships at Vrsac, Yugoslavia, flown by Mathias Wiitanen of Finland, third in the 1974 World Championships at Waikerie, Australia, flown by Hans-Werner Grosse of Germany, and winning the 1976 World Championships, held in Finland, for Britain flown by George Lee; this was the first British victory since 1952, when the late Philip Wills had come first in a Slingsby Sky. The AS-W 17 has made some notable long distance flights, including a world record goal flight of 765.4 miles by Hans-Werner Grosse on 16 April 1974; he also set a triangular distance record of 660.5 miles (1,063km) in Australia in an AS-W 17 on 18 January 1977, this flight also breaking the speed record for a 1,000km triangular closed circuit at 61.2mph.


Span: 65 ft 7 1/2 in
Length: 24 ft 9 1/4 in
Height: 6 ft 1 1/4 in
Wing area: 159.8 sqft
Aspect ratio: 27.0
Empty weight: 893 lb
Max weight: 1,257 lb
Max speed: 149 mph (in smooth air)
Min sinking speed: 1.6 ft/sec at 46.5 mph
Best glide ratio: 48.5:1 at 65 mph



Schleicher AS-W 19

  This Standard Class single-seater is basically an improved version of the AS-W 15B and very similar to it externally except for a T-tail similar to that of the AS-W 12; it is intended for more advanced pilots than the AS-W 15, and was designed to take advantage of the new Standard Class and 15m Unrestricted Class rules of 1975, which now permit camber-changing flaps (not fitted on the AS-W 19) and water ballast. The AS-W 19 first flew in prototype form on 23 November 1975, and production began in the spring of 1976. An AS-W 19 flown by the Dutch pilot Baer Salen won the Standard Class section of the 1978 World Championships at Chateauroux in France. The cantilever laminar flow mid-wings are of glassfibre/foam sandwich construction, with a glassfibre roving main spar and Schempp-Hirth metal air brakes above and below each wing. Up to 220lb of water ballast can be carried. The tail unit is also of glassfibre/foam sandwich and the tailplane is an all-moving surface; the AS-W 19B has a tailplane and elevator, and air brakes on the upper wing only. The fuselage is a glassfibre/honeycomb sandwich structure with a reinforced keel, and the nose tapers to a point like that of the AS-W 17. There is a retractable monowheel with an internal drum brake and a tailskid. The pilot sits in a semi-reclining seat under a large flush-fitting one-piece canopy which hinges at its front end to open upwards. The AS-W 19 Club is a club class version with a fixed unsprung monowheel, no water ballast carried and larger air brakes.


Span: 49 ft 2 1/2 in
Length: 22 ft 3 3/4 in
Height: 4 ft 8 in
Wing area: 118.4 sqft
Aspect ratio: 20.4
Empty weight: 551 Ib
Max weight: 899 lb
Max speed: 152 mph
Max aero-tow speed: 109 mph
Min sinking speed: 2.30 ft/sec at 53 mph
Best glide ratio: 38.5:1 at 67 mph



Schleicher AS-W 20

  The AS-W 20, like the AS-W 19, was designed by Dipl-Ing Gerhard Waibel and is a 15m Unrestricted Class version of the AS-W 19 fitted with camber-changing flaps to take advantage of the new March 1975 CIW regulations for this class of sailplane. It has an additional high drag range of flap movement incorporating a special mechanism to eliminate pitch and airspeed changes when the flap position is changed between 30° and 55°. The AS-W 20 also has a new device, developed by Wil Schuemann, that automatically co-ordinates and optimises the flap position to the prevailing airspeed so as to give optimum glide performance and to reduce the pilot's workload. This device also eliminates the need for underwing air brakes, although the AS-W 20 has larger spoilers in the wing upper surfaces than the AS-W 19. The prototype AS-W 20 first flew on 29 January 1977 and a version designated AS-W 20F is being built under licence in France by Centrair; this received its French certification on 31 March 1978. A version with a 16.5m (54ft 1 1/2 in) span wing, designated AS-W 20L (the L denoting Lang, or long) has detachable outer wing panels to increase the span to 54ft 5 1/4 in for Open Class competition; 48 of this variant had been built by the beginning of 1980. Apart from its flaps, the AS-W 20 is very similar to the AS-W 19, with longer ailerons of narrower chord, which rise to -8° when the flaps are lowered to 55° for landing, and with the same glassfibre sandwich construction and T-tail; up to 265lb of water ballast can be carried, and the cockpit canopy hinges to open upward like the AS-W 19's. Two AS-W 20s at the 1981 World Gliding Championships were fitted with winglets for improved performance.


Span: 49 ft 2 1/2 in
Length: 22 ft 4 1/2in
Height: 4 ft 9 in
Wing area: 113.0 sqft
Aspect ratio: 21.43
Empty weight: 551 Ib
Max weight: 1,000 lb
Max speed: 168 mph (in smooth air)
Max aero-tow speed: 112 mph
Min sinking speed: 1.97 ft/sec at 45.5 mph
Best glide ratio: 43:1 at 62 mph



Schleicher AS-W 22

  The AS-W 22 is one of the new generation of Open Class single-seater sailplanes with a wing span of 22m (72ft 2 1/4 in) or more and a best glide angle of better than 1 in 50. It is also available with detachable wing tip extensions to give a span of 24m, and a 21 m span version will be offered with a higher maximum take-off weight for competition or record flights in rough weather. The AS-W 22's structure makes extensive use of glassfibre, carbon-based and aramid fibres, and the wing is made in four sections. The combined flaps/air brakes on the trailing edge are similar to the AS-W 20's, and up to 44 Imp gallons of water ballast can be carried. To cater for the rather high take-off weight twin retractable mainwheels are featured with oleo-pneumatic shock absorption and disc brakes; the tailwheel is retractable.


Span: 22m 72ft 2 1/4 in
   24m 78 ft 9in
Length: 26 ft 10 3/4 in
Height: 5 ft 9 in
Wing area: 22m 244.1 sq ft
   24m 251.0 sq ft
Aspect ratio: 22m 21.3
   24m 24.7
Empty weight: 22m 882 lb
Max take-off weight: 1,543 lb
Best glide ratio: 55:1 (estimated)