M.Hardy. Gliders & Sailplanes of the world

Akaflieg Munchen Mu 27 FGR

  Sailplanes, because their speed range and wing loadings are so much smaller than most fixed wing aircraft and because they land so slowly, have not needed the variety of high-lift devices that a modern jet airliner ДальшеMore>>> or combat aircraft might employ. But recently some attention has been paid by designers to varying the wing geometry or area in flight to cater for different soaring conditions, and one approach to this problem is embodied in the Mu 27, which features slotted Fowler-type flaps enabling the wing area to be varied in flight. At high speeds a good gliding angle can be obtained by retracting the flaps while at low speeds or in a weakening thermal the flaps can be extended to give more lift, increasing the wing area by 36%. The Mu 27 is a tandem two-seater of largely glassfibre construction, and first flew on 24 February 1979 piloted by Thomas Fischer. The wings are a glassfibre/Conticell sandwich with aluminium spars and metal webs, and air brakes on the upper surface are at the 50% chord line. The ailerons are linked to the flaps. The semi-monocoque fuselage is entirely of glassfibre with a large two-piece sideways-hingeing cockpit canopy, while the T-tail unit is of glassfibre/foam sandwich construction. The landing gear consists of a retractable monowheel and a fixed tailwheel.


Data: Mu 27
Span: 72 ft 2 1/4 in
Length: 33 ft 9 1/2 in
Height: 5 ft 11 in
Wing area: 189.5 sq ft (flaps retracted)
Aspect ratio: 20.2
Empty weight: 1,058 lb
Max weight: 1,543 lb
Max speed: 174 mph
Min sinking speed: 1.8 ft/sec at 37 mph
Best glide ratio: 47:1 at 63 mph