Issoire Silène

The Issoire Silène was a sailplane produced in France in the 1970s and early 1980s, intended primarily as a trainer. It was a conventional design of fibreglass construction in versions with fixed or retractable monowheel undercarriage. The aircraft featured side-by-side seating for two, with the seats slightly staggered in order to minimise fuselage width. French certification was obtained on 3 February 1978, and production began shortly thereafter at the rate of two aircraft per month.

The original CE 75 design was refined as the E 78, which featured a redesigned and roomier cockpit, and was again available in fixed and retractable undercarriage versions. A further development, the I 79 was in development in 1979, and featured tanks for water ballast as well as hydraulically-operated flaps, undercarriage, and airbrakes.

Specifications (CE 75)

General characteristics

• Crew: Two, pilot and instructor
• Length: 7.95 m (26 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 18.00 m (59 ft 1 in)
• Height: 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in)
• Wing area: 18.0 m² (194 ft²)
• Aspect ratio: 18
• Empty weight: 320 kg (705 lb)
• Gross weight: 540 kg (1,190 lb)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 245 km/h (152 mph)
• Maximum glide ratio: 38
• Rate of sink: 0.6 m/s (116 ft/min)

References

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 535. 
• Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1977-78. London: Jane's Yearbooks. pp. 581–82. 
• Hardy, Michael (1982). Gliders and Sailplanes of the World. Shepperton: Ian Allan. pp. 109. 
• Coates, Andrew (1978). Jane's World Sailplanes and Motor Gliders. London: MacDonald and Jane's. pp. 29.