The ASW 27 is a
15 metre Class glider
Glider may refer to:
Aircraft and transport Aircraft
* Glider (aircraft), heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight
** Glider (sailplane), a rigid-winged glider aircraft with an undercarriage, used in the sport of glidin ...
built of modern fibre reinforced composites, which first flew in 1995 and was certified in 1997. The manufacturer of the ASW 27 is
Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. The "W" indicates this is a design of the influential and prolific German designer
Gerhard Waibel.
Design and development
The ASW 27 has plain
flaps,
winglets
Wingtip devices are intended to improve the efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft by reducing drag. Although there are several types of wing tip devices which function in different manners, their intended effect is always to reduce an aircraft' ...
, a retractable
undercarriage and a water ballast system. The ASW 27 superseded the
ASW 20 in the manufacturer's production line.
The structure is a complex composite of
carbon
Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent—its atom making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. It belongs to group 14 of the periodic table. Carbon mak ...
,
aramid
Aramid fibers, short for aromatic polyamide, are a class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibers. They are used in aerospace and military applications, for ballistic-rated body armor fabric and ballistic composites, in marine cordage, ma ...
and
polyethylene
Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging ( plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including b ...
fibre reinforced plastic. This permits a light structure with the strength to carry large amounts of water ballast, thus permitting the widest possible range of wing loadings for weak and strong soaring weather. The strong fuselage was tested for crash protection by dropping one from a crane.
The winglets were standard equipment from the beginning, but were later enlarged in the ASW-27B development. The "B" also has tanks to hold water ballast rather than bags. The ASW 27 does not have a version with wing extensions for 18 metres. This was a design decision to pursue an uncompromised 15 metre racer, as "future engine retrofits or later wingspan increases were specifically ruled out".
The introduction of the
ASG 29 gave the ASW 27 a stablemate that can compete in the same class, although the 29 is intended to fly primarily with an 18-metre span and can be motorised. Because of the overlap with the
ASG 29, production of the ASW27 has now ceased.
Specifications
See also
References
Alexander Schleicher GmbH & CoSailplane Directory
*Simons M, Segelflugzeuge 1965–2000, Equip, 2004
{{Schleicher
Schleicher aircraft
1990s German sailplanes
Aircraft first flown in 1995
T-tail aircraft
Shoulder-wing aircraft