M.Hardy. Gliders & Sailplanes of the world

Applebay Zuni

  Designed and built by the New Mexico-based firm of Aero Tek under the direction of George Applebay, the Zuni, previously known as the Aero Tek Model V Zuni, is a single-seater 15m (49ft 2 1/2 in) span Contest Class sailplane ДальшеMore>>> of conventional modern layout, with a flush transparent canopy and a T-tail. It made its first fight on 18 November 1976, and is of glassfibre construction overall. The cantilever shoulder-mounted wing has a Wortmann wing section developed at the Akaflieg Stuttgart and has full-span camber-changing flaps and ailerons. There is provision for up to 180kg (397lb) of water ballast, and the undercarriage consists of a single monowheel with a tail bumper fairing under the fin; the forward fuselage tapers to a slimmer boom section carrying the tail unit, and the wings have rectangular inner sections and tapered outer panels. Production plans for the Zuni have not yet been announced.


Data: Zuni
Span: 49 ft 2 1/2 in
Length: 22 ft 0 in
Height: 4 ft 3 in
Wing area: 109.0 sq ft
Aspect ratio: 22.2
Empty weight: 485 lb
Max weight: 1,102 lb
Max speed: 207 mph (in smooth air)
Min sinking speed: 1.71 ft/sec at 50 mph