The HP-18 is a

Richard Schreder Richard E. Schreder (25 September 1915 – 2 August 2002) was an American naval aviator and sailplane developer, responsible for design and development of the HP/RS-series kit sailplanes marketed from 1962 until about 1982. Schreder also foun ...

-designed metal Racing Class

sailplane A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the leisure activity and sport of gliding (also called soaring). This unpowered aircraft can use naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to gain altitude. Sailplan ...

that was offered as a kit for homebuilding during the 1970s and 1980s.

Design and development

The HP-18 is a flapped (15-meter) sailplane featuring a

V-tail The V-tail or ''Vee-tail'' (sometimes called a butterfly tail or Rudlicki's V-tailGudmundsson S. (2013). "General Aviation Aircraft Design: Applied Methods and Procedures" (Reprint). Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 489. , 9780123973290) of an aircraft ...

and 90-degree flaps for glidepath control. The fuselage is composed of a prefabricated composite forward fuselage and a semi-monocoque aft fuselage, and features steeply reclined seating and a side-stick controller although modifications using a conventional stick have been made. Major features: *Very low cockpit with reclining seating position *Sidestick (changed to conventional stick by some homebuilders) *Two-piece canopy (changed to single piece forward opening by some homebuilders) *V-tail that folds upwards for easy storage *Wing structure composed of spars with caps pre-machined from solid aluminium plate and aluminium wing skins bonded to closely spaced foam ribs *Fiberglass fuselage pod, wing tip skids and tail fairings *Aluminium tail cone *Winglets added by some homebuilders *Water ballast carried inside the hollow aluminium wing spars *Typical Schreder trailing edge flaps/airbrakes partially interconnected with the ailerons

Variants

As most homebuilts, the HP-18 has been constructed with many variations in detail. Perhaps the most significant version is the Super HP-18 developed by Canadians Ed Hollestelle and Udo Rumpf, which features a modified wing airfoil, winglets, a front-hinged canopy, conventional control stick and higher ballast capacity.

Aircraft on display

EAA Airventure Museum The EAA Aviation Museum, formerly the EAA AirVenture Museum (or Air Adventure Museum), is a museum dedicated to the preservation and display of historic and experimental aircraft as well as antiques, classics, and warbirds. The museum is lo ...

Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh. History Oshkosh was ...

National Soaring Museum The National Soaring Museum (NSM) is an aviation museum whose stated aim is to preserve the history of motorless flight. It is located on top of Harris Hill near Elmira, New York, United States. The NSM is the Soaring Society of America's officia ...

Elmira, New York Elmira () is a city and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. The population was 26,523 at the 2020 cens ...

US Southwest Soaring Museum The US Southwest Soaring Museum is an aviation museum, located at 918 E US Route 66, in Moriarty, New Mexico, United States that focuses on the history of gliding in the western United States. The museum is an affiliate member of the Soaring Societ ...

Moriarty, New Mexico Moriarty is a town in Torrance County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,910 at the 2010 Census. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Moriarty is located at (34.999815, -106.046667). According to ...

Specifications

References

Schreder Designs webpage
*R Johnson, ''A Flight Test Evaluation of the HP-18W Sailplane'', Soaring, July 2003

External links

{{Schreder Sailplanes 1970s United States sailplanes Glider aircraft Schreder aircraft Homebuilt aircraft V-tail aircraft