M.Hardy. Gliders & Sailplanes of the world

Blessing Rebell

  Designed and built by Herr Gerhard Blessing of Hamburg, this single-seat homebuilt motor glider has provision for carrying a second occupant, and the wings can, at the choice of the builder, be made in two, three or four parts. ДальшеMore>>> To assist the amateur constructor further, no component of the aircraft is more than 3.5m (11ft 5 3/4 in) long, and the fuel tank and several other components are standard car items obtainable from the motor industry. The prototype Rebell, registered D-KEBO, first flew on 3 June 1973 powered by a 54hp Hirth M28 two-cylinder engine driving a Hoffman two-blade pusher propeller that could be feathered for soaring flight. In 1975 a modified Volkswagen engine was fitted which had a slightly larger air intake. The Rebell is a mid-wing monoplane of basically steel tube construction with wood covering; the wings can be folded for storage and the vertical tail surfaces are swept back, with a dorsal fin. Landing gear consists of a non-retractable semi-recessed monowheel supplemented by a balancer wheel under each wing about halfway along the semi-span, plus a tailwheel. The fuselage has been redesigned to take a 62hp Limbach SL 1700 engine in the nose, and the Rebell was expected to fly again in this form early in 1980.


Data: With Hirth M28 engine
Span: 49 ft 21/2 in
Length: 24 ft 7 1/4 in
Wing area: 182.0 sqft
Aspect ratio: 13.2
Empty weight: 926 lb
Max weight: 1,366 lb
Max speed: 124 mph
Economical cruising speed: 93 mph
Best glide ratio: 24:1