The Wiederkehr GHW-1 Cu-Climber is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
,
high-wing, 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 by
George H. Wiederkehr and first flown in 1968.
[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 ind ...
'', page 43. Soaring Society of America November 1983. USPS 499-920
Design and development
The Cu-Climber is an original design and is of mixed construction, with the
fuselage of
fibreglass with foam bulkheads, forming a
semi-monocoque structure. The wings are a fiberglass and
balsa sandwich, with fibreglass skin, except aft of the
spar on the under-surface where
aircraft fabric covering
Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures. The de Havilland Mosquito is an example of this technique, as ar ...
is employed. The wing also features a large 12 inch (30 cm) X 6 inch (15 cm) box spar that is made from
spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfami ...
,
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 fiberglass, which is stressed to +9.6/-6.3
g. The wing employs a Pfenninger 14%
airfoil
An airfoil (American English) or aerofoil (British English) is the cross-sectional shape of an object whose motion through a gas is capable of generating significant lift, such as a wing, a sail, or the blades of propeller, rotor, or turbine.
...
.
The control surfaces include an
all flying tail fitted with an
anti-servo tab and full-span
aileron
An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement around ...
s of very short chord that act as
flaps when drooped for glidepath control. The landing gear is a fixed monowheel that is
faired to reduce drag.
The aircraft's designation of ''GHW-1'' indicates the designer's initials. Unusually the aircraft is registered with the
Federal Aviation Administration simply as ''Amateur Built 68 glider''. Only one example was ever constructed.
Operational history
In 1983
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 ind ...
reported that the GHW-1 was being regularly flown and that the designer was constructing a new
GHW-2. In May 2011 the GHW-1 was still registered to Wiederkehr. The GHW-2 was completed and in May 2011 was owned by Anthony C. Wiederkehr.
Specifications (GHW-1)
See also
References
{{reflist
1960s United States sailplanes
Homebuilt aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1968