Schleicher ASW 28

ASW 28

ASW 28-18
Role	Standard-class sailplane
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Schleicher
Designer	Gerhard Waibel
First flight	ca. 2000
Number built	>144

The ASW 28 is a Standard Class glider with a fifteen metre span built of modern fibre reinforced composites. The manufacturer of the ASW-28 is Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. The 'W' indicates this is a design of the influential and prolific German designer Gerhard Waibel. Serial production started in 2000.

Design and development

The ASW 28 is a single-seat shoulder-winged composite construction sailplane with a T-shaped horizontal tailplane and 15 metre wingspan. The upper wing surface has Schempp-Hirth brake flaps.

As all Standard Class sailplanes, the ASW-28 does not have flaps or other lift-enhancing devices. It has tall winglets, a retractable undercarriage and a water ballast system. The structure is a complex composite of carbon, aramid and polyethylene fibre reinforced plastic. This permits a light structure with the strength to carry large amounts of water ballast, thus permitting the widest possible range of wing loadings for weak and strong soaring weather.

The ASW-28 supersedes the ASW 24 in the manufacturer's production line. It has - like its competitors Rolladen-Schneider LS8 and Schempp-Hirth Discus-2 - a version with wing extensions for the increasingly popular 18 metre Class, the ASW 28-18. The sustainer (non-self-launching) variant of the 18 metre version is the ASW 28-18 E. The sustainer uses a SOLO 2350 18 hp 2-stroke engine.

Variants

ASW 28: Production variant with 15 metre wingspan.
ASW 28-18: Production variant with either a 15 metre or 18 metre span, also optional engine installation.
ASW 28-18 E: Production variant with a 13.2 kW (18 hp) SOLO 2350 2-stroke sustainer engine.

Specifications (with 15 metre wings)

General characteristics

Crew: One
Capacity: 200 kg (440 lb) water ballast
Length: 6.59 m (21 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 15 m (49 ft 3 in)
Height: 1.30 m (4 ft 3 in)
Wing area: 10.5 m² (113 ft²)
Aspect ratio: 21.4
Wing profile: DU 99-147 and DU 99-125
Empty weight: 240 kg (528 lb)
Gross weight: 525 kg (1,155 lb)

Performance

Maximum speed: 270 km/h (170 mph)
Maximum glide ratio: 45
Rate of sink: 0.56 m/s (110 ft/min)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to ASW 28.

Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co
Sailplane Directory
Simons M, Segelflugzeuge 1965-2000, Eqip, 2004

Schleicher glider types

Wooden construction pre-World War II	Condor Hols der Teufel Poppenhausen Rhönadler Rhönbussard

Wooden construction (Rudolf Kaiser)	Ka 1 Rhönlaus Ka 2 Rhönschwalbe Ka 3 Ka 4 Rhönlerche II Ka 6 Rhönsegler K7 K7/13 K 8 Ka-9 K 10 ASK 13 ASK 14 ASK 16 ASK 18

GRP construction (Rudolf Kaiser)	ASK 21 ASK 23

GRP construction (Gerhard Waibel)	ASW 12 ASW 15 ASW 17 ASW 19 ASW 20 ASW 22 ASW 24 ASW 27 ASW 28

GRP construction (Martin Heide)	ASH 25 ASH 26 ASH 30 ASH 31

GRP construction (Michael Greiner)	ASG 29 ASG 32

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Schleicher ASW 28

Design and development

Variants

Specifications (with 15 metre wings)

See also

References