Whigham GW-2

GW-2
General information
Type	Glider
National origin	United States
Designer	Gene Whigham
Status	No longer in production
Number built	Two
History
First flight	1964
Developed from	Whigham GW-1

The Whigham GW-2 is an American high-wing, single-seat, V-tailed, FAI Open Class glider that was designed and constructed by Gene Whigham, a retired flight test engineer for Convair. ^{[1] [2]}

Design and development

The GW-2 was intended as a model that improved upon the performance of the GW-1. To that end it uses a 53 ft (16.2 m) span wing with a much higher aspect ratio of 26:1 and a Wortmann FX 61-184 airfoil. The GW-2 also uses a V-tail. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

The GW-2 is an all-metal design, with doped aircraft fabric covering on the aft part of the wing, behind the spar. The wing mounts spoilers for glide-path control. The landing gear is a fixed monowheel, with a secondary skid. ^{[1] [2]}

The prototype GW-2 was registered as N94291 and first flown in 1964. A second GW-2 was also completed. ^{[4] [5]}

Operational history

The prototype GW-1 was flown in three US National competitions. ^[2]

In July 2011 one GW-2 remained on the Federal Aviation Administration registry. ^[5]

Specifications (GW-2)

Data from Sailplane Directory and Soaring ^{[1] [2]}

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Wingspan: 53 ft 0 in (16.15 m)
• Wing area: 108 sq ft (10.0 m²)
• Aspect ratio: 26:1
• Airfoil: Wortmann FX 61-184
• Empty weight: 385 lb (175 kg)
• Gross weight: 620 lb (281 kg)

Performance

• Maximum glide ratio: estimated 37:1 at 55 mph (89 km/h)
• Wing loading: 5.7 lb/sq ft (28 kg/m²)

See also

Related lists

• List of gliders

References

1. Activate Media (2006). "GW-2, GW-4 and GW-5 Whigham" . Retrieved July 5, 2011.
2. Said, Bob: 1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine , page 67, Soaring Society of America November 1983. USPS 499-920
3. Lednicer, David (2010). "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". Archived from the original on April 20, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
4. Federal Aviation Administration (July 2011). "Make / Model Inquiry Results N94291" . Retrieved July 5, 2011.
5. Federal Aviation Administration (July 2011). "Make / Model Inquiry Results N4KW" . Retrieved July 5, 2011.