The ASK 13 is a two-seater

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 built by German sailplane manufacturer

Alexander Schleicher Gmbh & Co Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co is a major manufacturer of sailplanes located in Poppenhausen, near Fulda in Germany. It is also the oldest sailplane manufacturer in the world. History The company was founded in 1927 by Alexander Schleicher u ...

. It was and still is widely used for basic training of glider pilots.

Design and development

In 1965 Rudolf Kaiser continued development of the two-seat Ka 2 and

Schleicher Ka 7 The Schleicher K7 Rhönadler is a West German high-wing, two-seat, glider that was designed by Rudolf Kaiser and produced by Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. Often referred to as the ''Ka-7'' or ''K-7'', the US Federal Aviation Administration t ...

by introducing the ASK 13, using a mixture of materials including metal, wood and

glassfibre 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 cloth ...

. It has swept-forward single-spar wings, positioned lower than in the Ka 7, which allows for a large blown canopy providing a good all-round view for both pilots. The 6 degree forward sweep of the wing allows the rear pilot to be seated near the centres of gravity and lift. The glider therefore maintains the same trim whether flown single seated or dual seated. The D-type leading edge torsion box is of

plywood Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured ...

and the whole wing is

fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

-covered. There are metal Schempp-Hirth air brakes above and below the wing, and the wooden ailerons are fabric-covered. The fuselage is a welded steel tube structure with spruce stringers and fabric-covered overall, except for the nose, which is glassfibre. The tail unit is plywood-covered, except for the rear part of the rudder and elevators, which are fabric-covered, and there is a Flettner trim tab in the starboard elevator. Landing gear consists of a non-retractable sprung wheel, mounted aft of the centre of gravity. The original design featured a skid under the nose and tail, although on many K13s these have been replaced with wheels to make handling on hard surfaces easier. It first flew in prototype form in July 1966 and by January 1978 a total of approximately 700 ASK 13s had been built by Schleicher. They are superb training gliders because they stall and spin well but these manoeuvres are easy to recover from. Their construction also gives them great strength and yet they are easily repairable. The aircraft was succeeded by the ASK 21.

Specifications

References

Schleicher Web SiteSailplane Directory
{{Schleicher 1960s German sailplanes Schleicher aircraft Forward-swept-wing aircraft Mid-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1966

Design and development

Specifications

See also

References