The Glasflügel 205 Club Libelle is a
high wing
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
,
T-tail
A T-tail is an empennage configuration in which the tailplane is mounted to the top of the fin. The arrangement looks like the capital letter T, hence the name. The T-tail differs from the standard configuration in which the tailplane ...
ed, single seat
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 ...
that was designed and produced in
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
by
Glasflügel for club and rental use.
[Said, Bob: ''1983 Sailplane Directory, ]Soaring Magazine
''SOARING'' is a magazine published monthly as a membership benefit of the Soaring Society of America. It was first published in 1937. The headquarters is in Hobbs, New Mexico. The magazine's article topics include safety issues and accounts of in ...
'', page 80, Soaring Society of America
The Soaring Society of America (SSA) was founded at the instigation of Warren E. Eaton to promote the sport of soaring in the USA and internationally. The first meeting was held in New York City in the McGraw–Hill Building on February 20, 193 ...
November 1983. USPS 499-920
Design and development
![GLASFLUGEL H](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/GLASFLUGEL_H.205_CLUB_LIBELLE_hl.jpg)
The
Glasflügel H-201 Standard Libelle proved immensely popular, but was not an optimal aircraft for
club
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea''
Brands and enterprises ...
and rental use, due to its mid-wing and low tail which could both be damaged in off-airport landings. Also its small cockpit fits only a certain demographic percentage of soaring pilots. The company developed the 205 with the design goals of a simple, rugged aircraft that would withstand club and
fixed-base operator
A fixed-base operator (FBO) is an organization granted the right by an airport to operate at the airport and provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instruction, ...
rental use. The resulting aircraft has a high-wing and a T-tail to provide more obstacle clearance as well as a larger cockpit. To eliminate gear-up landings the monowheel landing gear is non-retractable,
although at least one Club Libelle exists (D-2468 - s/n 114) which is equipped with retractable landing gear.
The aircraft is constructed from
fibreglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...
. It has a new wing that uses a double-taper planform and incorporates combination
spoilers and
flaps that occupy two thirds of the wing's
trailing edge
The trailing edge of an aerodynamic surface such as a wing is its rear edge, where the airflow separated by the leading edge meets.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 521. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 199 ...
. The span wing employs a
Wortmann FX 66-17A II 182
airfoil, the same as is used on the Standard Libelle and the
Glasflügel 206 Hornet.
The Club Libelle was
type certified
A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). It confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production, is in compliance with applica ...
in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
as well as in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The US certification was granted on 8 September 1975 and includes
aerobatic approval for
spins
The spins (as in having "the spins")Diane Marie Leiva. ''The Florida State University College of Education''Women's Voices on College Drinking: The First-Year College Experience"/ref> is an adverse reaction of intoxication that causes a state of ...
,
loops,
hammerhead turns and
lazy eights. Due to its fibreglass construction, the aircraft's certification contains the restriction: "All external portions of the glider exposed to sunlight must be painted white. Registration and competition numbers must be painted blue-gray or in any other light color."
Operational history
In July 2011 there were six 205s on the United States
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...
registry.
Specifications (205)
See also
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Glasflugel 205 Club Libelle
1970s German sailplanes
Glasflügel aircraft
T-tail aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1975
High-wing aircraft