The Slingsby T.59 Kestrel is a British Open 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 ...

which first flew in August 1970. Of

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construction, it features camber-changing flaps, airbrakes, and a retractable main wheel. Originally a licensed-built version of the

Glasflügel 401 The Glasflügel 401 "Kestrel" is a glider that was developed in 1968 for the open class. It has a wingspan of 17 metres. It is named after the kestrel bird. History Between 1968 and 1975 Glasflügel built 129 ''Kestrels''. The British company ...

, the Kestrel was produced in several variants culminating in the T.59H of wing span. The type was successful when used in

gliding competition Some of the pilots in the sport of gliding take part in gliding competitions. These are usually racing competitions, but there are also aerobatic contests and on-line league tables. History of competitions In the early days, the main goal w ...

s and was the first glider to complete a pre-declared task.

Notable competition use

*1970 World Championships - Fourth place, pilot; George Burton.Simons 1996, p. 241. *1972 British National Championships - First place, pilot;

John Delafield John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

. *1972 World Championships - Eight Kestrels entered, highest competitors placed fourth ( Nick Goodhart) and sixth (Burton). *1975 British National Championships - First place, pilot; George Lee. Eight of the top ten places were taken by Kestrel pilots.

World record use

The 1,000 km out and return pre-declared task world distance record was broken in September 1972 by New Zealander, Dick Georgeson. Covering a distance of in

lee wave In meteorology, lee waves are atmospheric stationary waves. The most common form is mountain waves, which are atmospheric internal gravity waves. These were discovered in 1933 by two German glider pilots, Hans Deutschmann and Wolf Hirth, above ...

this was the first time that this pre-declared distance task had been completed.Simons 1996, p. 241.

Variants

;T.59 Kestrel 17 :Initial licensed production version of

, first flown in 1970, five built. ;T.59B :Experimental wing span version, one built. ;T.59C Kestrel 19 :Prototype with

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wing spar In a fixed-wing aircraft, the spar is often the main structural member of the wing, running spanwise at right angles (or thereabouts depending on wing sweep) to the fuselage. The spar carries flight loads and the weight of the wings while on t ...

, first flown in May 1971. One aircraft built. ;T.59D/E Kestrel 19 :Production Kestrel 19, T.59D was a designation given by the

British Gliding Association The British Gliding Association (BGA) is the governing body for gliding in the United Kingdom. Gliding in the United Kingdom operates through 80 gliding clubs (both civilian and service) which have 2,310 gliders and 9,462 full flying members ( ...

, T.59E was the designation given to the same type by the Civil Aviation Authority. Over 90 aircraft built. ;T.59G Kestrel 22 :Wing root extensions fitted to increase span to ,

tailplane A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabiliser, is a small lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyropla ...

area enlarged by 25%. One aircraft modified in Australia. ;T.59H Kestrel 22 :Re-designed four-piece wing. Two aircraft built.Simons 1996, p. 242

Aircraft on display

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 Socie ...

Specifications (T.59D Kestrel 19)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Coates, Andrew. ''Jane's World Sailplanes and Motorgliders''. London. Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1978. * Simons, Martin. ''Slingsby Sailplanes'', Shrewsbury, England: Airlife Publishing Ltd. 1996.

External links

British Gliding Association data sheet - Kestrel 22
{{Slingsby aircraft 1970s British sailplanes Glider aircraft

Kestrel The term kestrel (from french: crécerelle, derivative from , i.e. ratchet) is the common name given to several species of predatory birds from the falcon genus ''Falco''. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviou ...

Aircraft first flown in 1970 Mid-wing aircraft T-tail aircraft