Alsema Sagitta
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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]