Alsema Sagitta

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Sagitta 013
Type designation Sagitta 013
Competition class Club (formerly Standard)
Number built 15
Crew 1
Length 6.47 m
Height m
Cockpit width m
Cockpit height m
Wingspan 15 m
Wing area 12 m²
Aspect ratio 18.7
Wing profile NACA 63-618
Empty mass ca. 217 kg
Water ballast -
Maximum mass 320 kg
Wing loading 26.7 kg/m²
Maximum speed km/h
Speed in turbulence 140 km/h
Maneuver speed km/h
Minimum sink rate ca. 0.8 (0.64?) m/s at 70 km/h
Best glide ratio ca. 27.5 (34?) at 85 km/h


Designed by Piet Alsema the Sagitta first flew in 1961, after three years of planning. It has an all-wood fuselage and wooden wings with plywood and fabric cover. The Sagitta was the first "standard class" glider design to appear from the Netherlands. It was a modern high performance design with features like automatic connecting control surfaces on assembly and a backward sliding canopy that can be fixed open in flight at several positions. Design errors (selection of wingtip airfoil and 'delamination' of the main spar) resulted in some accidents.

Of the 21 Sagitta's ever built, there are only 5 left flying. [1]