Schempp-Hirth Janus

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Schempp-Hirth Janus C
A Janus C with fixed gear.
Janus Ce with gear retracted.
Type designation Janus
Competition class Two Seater
Number built 300
Crew 2
Length 8.62 m
Height ca. 1.5 m
Cockpit width 0.71 m
Cockpit height 1.02 m
Wingspan 18.2 m (Janus A, B)
20.0 m (Janus C)
Wing area 16.6 m² (Janus A, B)
17.3 m² (Janus C)
Aspect ratio 20.0 (Janus A, B)
23.1 (Janus C)
Wing profile FX 67-K-170 / 150
Empty mass ca. 370 kg (Janus A, B)
ca. 365 kg (Janus C)
Water ballast 120 kg (Janus B)
240 kg (Janus C)
Maximum mass 620 kg (Janus A, B)
700 kg (Janus C)
Wing loading ca. 27 – 37.3 kg/m² (Janus A, B)
ca. 31 – 39 kg/m² (Janus C)
Maximum speed 220 km/h (Janus B)
Maneuver speed 170 km/h (Janus B)
Minimum sink ca. 0.7 m/s (Janus B)
ca. 0.6 m/s (Janus C)
Best glide ratio 39.5 (Janus A, B)
43 at 110 km/h (Janus C)
Janus CM, Janus CT
Empty mass ca. 417 kg (Janus CM)
Engine type Rotax 535 C (Janus CM)
Solo 2350 (Janus CT)
Engine power 45 kW (Janus CM)
15 kW (Janus CT)


The Schempp-Hirth Janus is a high performance two-seat glider that was built by Schempp-Hirth GmbH.

The design was by Dipl-Ing Klaus Holighaus and the prototype first flew in May 1974. The production examples incorporated several improvements in January 1975. The Janus has a glass-fibre monocoque fuselage similar to that of the Nimbus-2 but the cockpit section is lengthened to accommodate the two pilots in tandem with dual controls under a right-hand side hinged one-piece canopy. Landing gear consists of either a non-retractable main wheel (Janus A, B & C) or a retractable main wheel (later models of Janus C and all Ce's) with a drum or disc brake, and a nose-wheel. The two-piece wings have 2° forward sweep on the leading edge, and have camber-changing flaps which are operated between +12° and -7°. The Janus has upper surface dive brakes, and the Janus C could also be fitted with a tail parachute.

The Janus B was produced from March 1978. It has a fixed-incidence tailplane instead of the all-moving type previously fitted. The Janus C has carbon-fibre wings of 20 m span and a carbon-fibre tailplane. The Janus Ce was certified in 1991 and incorporated modifications to the cockpit and fin.

The Janus M is a motorised version with a Rotax engine mounted on a pylon aft of the cockpit and retracting into the fuselage. The prototype first flew in 1978.

100 Januses were built by early 1980 plus three motorised Janus CMs. It is particularly suitable for cross-country instruction and training to fly flapped gliders.

The French developed the Janus as the SCAP–Lanaverre SL-2. (SCAP is the Société de Commercialisation Aéronautique du Plessis SàRL with Lanaverre Industries) It first flew in 1977. The main differences from the Janus A are the provision for water ballast in the wings, a fixed tailplane with elevators, and a more comfortable cockpit.

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