|
| 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. |
| 15 |
49.2 |
9.51 |
102.4 |
235 |
518 |
190 |
639 |
525 |
1157 |
55.2 |
11.31 |
150 |
331 |
| Aspect
ratio: |
23.7 |
| Airfoil: |
Wortmann/Holighaus/Althaus |
| Structure: |
fiberglass, carbon wings |
| Engine: |
|
Comment:
The 15-meter Ventus (not to be confused with the
later completely redesigned Ventus 2) has all-
carbon fiber wings. The strength of this
material permitted use of a very thin airfoil
developed by F.X. Wortmann, Dieter Althaus and
Ventus designer Klaus Holighaus. The stiffness
of carbon fiber prevents wing twist at high
speeds such as often occurs with fiberglass. The
Ventus first flew in 1980 and was offered with
an A model for shorter pilots, and a slightly
wider and longer B model for pilots up to 196
cm/ 6 feet/ 5 inches in height. The Ventus has
trailing-edge combination flaps and dive brakes,
and aileron control mixers which reduce aileron
deflection when extreme positve or negative flap
is selected. The B model had optional 16.6 m.
tip extensions, while the C model offered 15 m.
winglets tip extensions increasing the span to
16.6 or 17.6 m., and a 5 kg. /11 lb. Fin ballast
tank. Dick Johnson tested a modified Ventus A
with 16.5 m. tip extensions to give a
demonstrated best L/D of 50 at 78 kph/ 42 kt/ 48
mph and a minimum sink rate of 0.43 m/s/ 1.42
fps/ 0.84 kt. The sustainer Ventus bT had 16.6
m. wings and a retractable 15 kW/ 20 bhp Oehler
Solo turbo engine. The cT had 17.6 m. wings and
a Solo engine uprated to 22 kW/ 30 bhp. A Ventus
won the 15 m. class at the 1983 World
Championships at Hobbs, NM, and others took 10
of the first 15 places. R.L. Robertson of Great
Britain, along with others, won the world
triangle distance record of 1,363 km./ 846.9
miles in 1986 in a Ventus A. Specifications are
for the Ventus A. |
|
