The Windward Performance SparrowHawk is an American
mid-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 ...
, 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 by
Windward Performance.
[Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 60. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ] It first flew in 2002.
Since 2016 the aircraft has been no longer advertised as available by the manufacturer.
Design and development
The SparrowHawk was designed to fit into the US
FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles
Ultralight aircraft in the United States are much smaller and lighter than ultralight aircraft as defined by all other countries.
In the United States, ultralights are described as "ultralight vehicles" and not as aircraft. They are not requ ...
category, including that category's requirement that unpowered aircraft have a maximum empty weight of . The sailplane achieves this by utilizing a structure that is predominantly made from
carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer.
The SparrowHawk's multi-tapered, span wing employs five different
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.
...
s and has an
aspect ratio of 18.6:1. The wing features
Schempp-Hirth
Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau GmbH is a glider manufacturer based in Kirchheim unter Teck, Germany.
History
Martin Schempp founded his own company in Göppingen in 1935, with the assistance of Wolf Hirth.
The company was initially called "Sportfl ...
style spoilers on the top surface. The cockpit can accommodate pilots who range in height from . The landing gear is a fixed
monowheel gear with an auxiliary tail wheel. The glider is finished with a two part
polyurethane paint. The aircraft can be launched by
auto-tow
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is al ...
,
winch-launch
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is al ...
, or
aero-tow by both
light aircraft and
ultralight aircraft
Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with ailer ...
. Aerobatics are not recommended.
The SparrowHawk achieves a best
glide ratio of 36:1 and a minimum sink rate of 119 ft/min (0.60 m/s).
Specifications (SparrowHawk)
See also
References
External links
Official website archiveson
Archive.org
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
{{Windward Performance aircraft
2000s United States sailplanes
Aircraft first flown in 2002