| T.6/T.23 Kirby Kite | |
|---|---|
| Role | Sport Glider |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Slingsby Sailplanes |
| Designer | Fred Slingsby |
| First flight | 1935 |
| Number built | 25 (+1 from plans in the USA) |
| Developed from | Slingsby T.5 Grunau Baby II |
| Variants | Slingsby T.26 Kite 2 |
The Slingsby T.6/T.23 Kirby Kite was a single-seat sport glider produced from 1935, by Fred Slingsby in Kirbymoorside, Yorkshire.
Contents |
During the early 1930s there was a dearth of high-performance gliders that could be flown by relatively inexperienced pilots. To remedy this shortcoming Fred Slingsby modified the Grunau Baby design with longer gulled wings and rounded fuselage formers skinned with plywood, resulting in the T.6 Kirby Kite. Later developments included spoilers to improve landing performance and an enlarged rudder which improved the harmony of the controls. Further re-design was carried out at the end of World War II, with a raised wing pylon, landing wheel and spoilers fitted as standard. The T.23 Kirby Kite flew in December 1945 but did not enter production due to the limited improvement in performance.
The T.6 Kirby Kite was immediately in demand for competition and club flying, but their performance was soon overtaken by newer gliders. Production continued until 1939 totalling 25, of which one was exported to South Africa, one to Canada and one to Rhodesia. One more was built from plans by Herman Kursawe in the USA. Almost all the Kirby Kites still flying at the outbreak of WWII were impressed into the Royal Air Force for use as training aircraft for assault glider pilots. Kirby Kites were also used, along with other types of glider, to assess the ability of the Chain Home radar system to detect aircraft largely constructed of wood. These tests carried out over the English Channel were successful in showing that even gliders with very little metallic content could be detected, the strength of return depending on how much metal was on board. After use by the Glider Training Schools the surviving Kirby Kites were passed to the Air Training Corps
UK
General characteristics
Performance
|
||||||||
|
||||||||||||||