Schleicher ASK 18

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Schleicher ASK 18
Type designation ASK 18
Competition class Club class
Number built 56
Crew 1
Length 6.00 m
Height 1.68 m
Wingspan 16.00 m
Wing area 12.99 m²
Aspect ratio 19.71
Wing profile: Root: NACA 633-618 Mid: NACA 633-614 (with Wortmann leading edge modification)
Empty mass 215 kg
Water ballast N/A
Maximum mass 335 kg
Maximum wing loading 25.8 kg/m²
Maximum speed 200 km/h (108 kt)
Rough air speed 140 km/h (76 kt)
Stall speed 50 km/h (33 kt)
Minimum sink rate ca. 0.62 m/s (122 ft/min) at 65 kph (35 kt)
Best glide ratio 34 at 75 km/h (40 kt)

The Schleicher ASK 18 is a single-seat sailplane that was built by the German manufacturer Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. It was designed to be a sturdy aircraft for inexperienced solo pilots and so uses a simple and rugged construction and has docile handling characteristics.

It was designed by Rudolf Kaiser and was the last Schleicher glider to use the traditional construction method. It was built when aircraft of the same class, such as the Grob G-102 Astir, were made of glass-fibre. The fuselage was derived from the Ka 8 and use welded steel tube and spruce longerons. It is covered in fabric. The wings are from the Ka 6E but with 16-metre span. They have a single wooden spar. The rear part of the wing is fabric-covered and the ailerons are plywood-covered. The tailplane came from the K 10; the fin and tailplane are plywood-covered and the rudder and elevators are fabric covered. A Flettner trim tab is fitted to the elevator. Only the nose cone is glass-fibre. The main-wheel is fixed and has a brake. There is a tail-skid but no nose-skid. The Schempp-Hirth airbrakes extend above and below the wing. First flight was in October 1974.

A variation was the ASK 18B which had a span reduced to 15m; At the end of production in 1977 38 K18s were built, 9 K18Bs and one unknown variant from a kit. A further 8 K18-ARs were produced in Argentina.

[edit] Reference

Gliders and Sailplanes of the World by Michael Hardy Ian Allen Ltd 1982 ISBN 0711011524

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