Akaflieg Stuttgart FS-16

|} The Akaflieg Stuttgart FS-16 Wippsterz was a glider aircraft that was designed and built in Germany from 1936. Only one example of the design was constructed.

Development

Akaflieg Stuttgart wanted to build a glider with reasonable performance that was safe and simple to fly, the result was the FS-16. The design employed a cantilever wing attached to the top of the fuselage; the rear portion of the fuselage was raised, similar to the Akaflieg Stuttgart F.1. The FS-16 as constructed had no vertical tail, but used pivoting panels on the wingtips for roll and yaw control. It had no tail-skid, using a single large skid under the front fuselage with a spur extending rearwards for support and stability on the ground. Flight characteristics with the rotating wing-tip panels were not as expected so a conventional vertical fin on an extended rear fuselage, and ailerons constructed from fabric-covered Duralumin on the outer wing traling edges, were added after initial flights.

Specifications

Data from http://www.uni-stuttgart.de/akaflieg/index.php?id=41&L=2

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 6.13 m (20 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 16 m (52 ft 6 in)
• Height: 1.12 m (3 ft 8 in)
• Wing area: 13.3 m² (143 ft²)
• Aspect ratio: 19.2
• Wing profile: NACA 2318 at root/NACA 2315 at 31% semi-span/NACA 4312 at tip
• Empty weight: 120 kg (265 lb)
• Gross weight: 200 kg (441 lb)

Performance

• G limits: 8.8
• Maximum glide ratio: 27

Similar aircraft

Schleicher Rhönadler

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Akaflieg Stuttgart.

• http://www.uni-stuttgart.de/akaflieg/index.php?id=41&L=2