ASW 15 | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Sailplane |
National origin | Germany |
Manufacturer | Schleicher |
Designer | |
Status | Most still active with private users and few clubs. |
Number built | ca.453 |
History | |
First flight | ca. 1968 |
The Schleicher ASW 15 is a single-seat sailplane designed in 1968 by Gerhard Waibel and manufactured by Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. The ASW 15 has shoulder-mounted wings and an all-flying tailplane, with its single tow-release placement a compromise between winching and aerotowing. The later ASW 15B had several improvements, including a tow-release placed on the plane of symmetry, an 11 cm taller rudder, a slightly larger main wheel, and the provision of a 90-litre water ballast system.
Rot due to fungus infestation was found in an early example, leading to an Airworthiness Directive. Starting with serial number 356, balsa wood was abandoned in the construction in favour of synthetic foam.
In 1971 and 1972, the American pilot Karl Striedieck set world out-and-return distance soaring records three times flying an ASW 15, including one flight of 1,009.854 kilometres (627.494 mi) on October 15, 1972.
It was succeeded by the Schleicher ASW 19.
Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1976–77 [3]
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
The Schempp-Hirth Discus is a Standard Class glider designed by Schempp-Hirth. It was produced in Germany between 1984 and 1995 but has continued in production in the Czech Republic. It replaced the Standard Cirrus. It was designed by Klaus Holighaus.
The Rolladen-Schneider LS4 is a Standard Class single seat glider manufactured by Rolladen-Schneider Flugzeugbau GmbH between 1980 and 2003.
The Schempp-Hirth Mini Nimbus is a 15 Metre-class glider designed and built by Schempp-Hirth GmbH in the late 1970s.
The ASW 20 is an FAI 15 metre Class glider designed by Gerhard Waibel and built by Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. Its fuselage is nearly identical to that of the ASW 19, mated to newly designed flapped wings for the 15 metre Class. The prototype first flew in 1977. It proved to be a highly successful glider, winning several World Championships, and was still being flown at this level up to 1995. Developments along its production life included winglets, pneumatic turbulators, and wingtip extensions. It remained in production until 1990, when it was superseded by the ASW 27. 765 were built by Schleicher and a further 140 were made under license by Centrair in France.
The Rolladen-Schneider LS1 is a Standard Class single-seat glider manufactured in Germany by Rolladen-Schneider from 1968 to 1977.
The Schempp-Hirth Janus is a high performance two-seat glider that was built by Schempp-Hirth GmbH. It was the first high-performance two-seater.
The Standard Cirrus is a Standard-class glider built in Germany by Schempp-Hirth. The Standard Cirrus was produced between 1969 and 1985, when it was replaced by the Discus. Over 800 examples were built, making it one of the most successful early fibreglass glider designs.
The Schempp-Hirth Nimbus-2 is an Open Class glider built by Schempp-Hirth during the 1970s. The Nimbus-2 first flew in April 1971 and a total of over 240 examples of all subtypes have been built until the beginning of the 1980s. It replaced the Schempp-Hirth Cirrus.
The Schempp-Hirth Nimbus 3 is a glider built by Schempp-Hirth.
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.
The ASW 27 is a 15 metre Class glider built of modern fibre reinforced composites, which first flew in 1995 and was certified in 1997. The manufacturer of the ASW 27 is Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. The "W" indicates this is a design of the influential and prolific German designer Gerhard Waibel.
The ASW 24 is a modern single-seat high-performance composite Standard Class sailplane. It is manufactured in Germany by Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co.
The ASW 19 is a single-seat glider built by Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co, first flying in 1975. It was originally designed as a Standard Class glider, but now mainly competes in the Club Class. The ASW 19 is known for its pleasant handling and some clubs use it as a training glider. It was succeeded by the all-new Schleicher ASW 24.
The ASW 22 is an Open Class glider built by Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co which first flew in 1981. The 'W' in the designation indicates that this is a product of the German designer Gerhard Waibel. An ASW 22 broke the world 750 km triangle speed record in 1985 and ASW 22s have won first place in six World Gliding Championships.
The Schleicher ASG 29 is a German sailplane manufactured by Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co since 2006. It can be flown as an 18 metre Class glider or as a 15 metre Class glider. The 'G' indicates a design by Michael Greiner. It is a refinement of the popular ASW-27 and for certification purposes it is designated the ASW-27-18. It has been replaced by the Schleicher AS 33.
The Schleicher ASW 17 is a single-seat Open Class sailplane that was built by the German manufacturer Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co and first flew in 1971. It replaced the ASW 12, and was replaced in 1981 by the ASW 22.
The Schleicher ASK 23 is a single-seat Club Class sailplane that was built by the German manufacturer Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co.
The Glasflügel 206 Hornet is a Standard Class sailplane produced in Germany between 1975 and 1979. Of conventional sailplane design with a T-tail, it replaced the Standard Libelle, featuring composite construction throughout. Differences from the earlier aircraft included a redesigned canopy, retractable monowheel landing gear, and provision for 100 kg (220 lbs) of water ballast.
The LAK-12 is a Lithuanian mid-wing, single-seat, FAI Open Class glider that was designed and produced by Lietuviškos Aviacinės Konstrukcijos (LAK) in Lithuania and later by Sportine Aviacija and Sport Aviation USSR.
The Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-8 is an experimental, single-seat, high performance glider built in Germany in the 1960s, constructed largely from glass fibre skin over built up balsa wood structure. Two were built; the second of which was later fitted with a high aspect ratio (30:1) wing, becoming the Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-9 Stratus.