| SF-23 Sperling | |
|---|---|
 | |
| SF-23A | |
| Role | Two-seat cabin monoplane |
| National origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer | Scheibe Flugzeugbau |
| First flight | 1955 |
| Number built | 27 |
The Scheibe SF-23 Sperling (en:Sparrow) is a 1950s German two-seat cabin monoplane or sometimes described as a self-launching motor glider. [1]
The Sperling was the first design of powered aircraft to come from the Scheibe Flugzeugbau company which had started building gliders in 1951. The prototype first flew on 8 August 1955 and the initial production SF-23A aircraft first flew in September 1958. [2]
The Sperling is a high-wing braced monoplane with side-by-side seating for two in an enclosed cabin. [1] It had a fixed tailwheel landing gear and was initially powered by a 95 hp (71 kW) Continental C90 piston engine. [1] [3] The Sperling utilizes mixed construction, the fuselage being a fabric-covered steel-tube structure and the wings being single-spar wooden structures with fabric and plywood covering. Production of the Sperling was completed in 1963. [2]
Most aircraft produced were sold to German private pilots and flying clubs but one was purchased by a British owner. The higher powered versions were suitable for use in glider-towing. By 2009, seven examples remained in active operation in Germany. [4]
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1961–62 [5]
General characteristics
Performance
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