|
| Span |
Area |
Empty Weight |
Payload |
Gross Weight |
Wing Load |
Water Ballast |
| m |
ft |
sq.m |
sq.ft |
kg |
lb. |
kg |
lb. |
kg |
lb. |
kg
/sq.m |
lb.
/sq.ft |
kg |
lb. |
| 18 |
59 |
14.28 |
153 |
280 |
617 |
160 |
353 |
440 |
970 |
30.8 |
6.34 |
0 |
0 |
| Aspect
ratio: |
22.7 |
| Airfoil: |
Wotmann FX-62-Z-153 |
| Structure: |
foam/glass fiber sandwich |
| Engine: |
|
Comment:
The development of this early all-fiberglass
sailplane began at the Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology in Zurich under the direction of
Prof. Rauscher, first flying with a new fuselage
and tailplane married to wings from a schleicher
Ka-6 (the Ka Bi-Vo). Further development was
taken over by Flug un Fahrzeugwerke (FFA) which
used flapped 15 m. Hutter H-30TS wings, first
flying in 1964. After production 13 examples of
this model (the HBV Diamant), production shifted
to the Diamant 16.5 with a new 16.5 m. wing
designed and built by FFA. This was the first
all glass fiber production sailplane, not using
balsa or other wood sandwiched between the
fiberglass layers. The Diamant 18 is an 18 m.
development of the 16.5, first flying in 1968,
with extended inboard wing and flap sections and
a new wingtip cap. At least one Diamant 18 was
substantially modified by Dan Pierson of Los
Angeles, CA to have a 19.0 m. / 62.3 ft. wing
carrying 145 kg / 320 lb. Of water ballast
bringing the gross weight up to 673 kg/ 1,480
lb. Specifications are for the Diamant 18 with
those for the 16.5 in parenthesis. The HBV
Diamant and Diamant 16.5 are ATC, while the
Diamant 18 is EXP. |
|
