ASW 28
ASW 28-18
Role Standard-class sailplane
National origin Germany
Manufacturer Schleicher
Designer Gerhard Waibel
First flight ca. 2000
Number built >144

The ASW 28 is a Standard Class glider with a fifteen-metre span built of modern fibre reinforced composites. The manufacturer of the ASW-28 is Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. The 'W' indicates this is a design of the influential and prolific German designer Gerhard Waibel. Serial production started in 2000.

Design and development

The ASW 28 is a single-seat shoulder-winged composite construction sailplane with a T-shaped horizontal tailplane and 15 metre wingspan. The upper wing surface has Schempp-Hirth airbrakes.

As all Standard Class sailplanes, the ASW-28 does not have flaps or other lift-enhancing devices. It has tall winglets, a retractable undercarriage and a water ballast system. The structure is a complex composite of carbon, aramid and polyethylene fibre reinforced plastic. This permits a light structure with the strength to carry large amounts of water ballast, thus permitting the widest possible range of wing loadings for weak and strong soaring weather.

The ASW-28 supersedes the ASW 24 in the manufacturer's production line. It has – like its competitors Rolladen-Schneider LS8 and Schempp-Hirth Discus-2 – a version with wing extensions for the increasingly popular 18 metre Class, the ASW 28-18. The sustainer (non-self-launching) variant of the 18 metre version is the ASW 28-18 E. The sustainer uses a SOLO 2350 18 hp two-stroke engine.

Variants

ASW 28
Production variant with 15 metre wingspan.
ASW 28-18
Production variant with either a 15 metre or 18 metre span, also optional engine installation.
ASW 28-18 E
Production variant with a 13.2 kW (18 hp) SOLO 2350 2-stroke sustainer engine.

Specifications (with 15 metre wings)

General characteristics

  • Crew: One
  • Capacity: 200 kg (440 lb) water ballast
  • Length: 6.59 m (21 ft 7 in)
  • Wingspan: 15 m (49 ft 3 in)
  • Height: 1.30 m (4 ft 3 in)
  • Wing area: 10.5 m2 (113 sq ft)
  • Aspect ratio: 21.4
  • Airfoil: DU 99-147 and DU 99-125
  • Empty weight: 240 kg (528 lb)
  • Gross weight: 525 kg (1,155 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × SOLO 2350 (ASW-28-18E only) , 13 kW (18 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 270 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn)
  • Maximum glide ratio: 45
  • Rate of sink: 0.56 m/s (110 ft/min)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Schleicher ASW 28.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.