Glaser-Dirks DG-200
| Glaser-Dirks DG-200 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Glider of FAI 15m class |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
April 22, 1977 |
| Production time: |
until 1984 |
| Number of pieces: |
192 |
The Glaser-Dirks DG-200 is a glider from the German manufacturer Glaser-Dirks (later DG Flugzeugbau GmbH ).
history
For a long time, glider pilots have wanted an optimal adaptation of the aircraft profile to the respective flight speed. When climbing, they wanted to fly as close as possible to the minimum speed with as little sinking as possible in order to climb as quickly as possible. When flying straight ahead in still or downward moving air, they wanted high speed in order to lose as little height as possible.
In the 1970s, the ever more advanced use of fiberglass and carbon fiber composites made it possible to realize the long-cherished desire for variable profiles.
Flaps , with which the gliders of the racing class (today FAI - or 15 m class) are equipped, make it possible to fold flaps at the rear end of the wing up or down. As a result, a lower minimum flight speed was achieved in "cranking" - i.e. climbing - due to the increased lift (at the expense of increased resistance), but in high-speed flight exactly the opposite - i.e. less resistance with correspondingly less lift.
After the Glaser-Dirks DG-100, the DG-200 was the second glider designed by Wilhelm Dirks . The first flight of the DG-200 with 15 m was on April 22, 1977, the DG-200/17 with clip-on wing tips, which increase the span to 17 m, followed on March 14, 1979.
A further development from 1980 is the DG-202 or DG-202/17, which offer a one-piece canopy, slightly modified profile and an automatic elevator connection.
It was followed by the DG-202 / 17C with carbon fiber spars. The motorized Glaser-Dirks DG-400 was later developed from this .
construction
The original DG-200 had - as specified for the so-called FAI -15-m- or racing class - 15 m wingspan. With a wing area of exactly 10 m², it was well above the areas that later 15 m gliders had. In contrast to the LS3 , the DG-200 has separate flaps and ailerons, but the ailerons are controlled superimposed.
The 15 m version of the DG-200 is approved for a maximum speed of 270 km / h and a maximum take-off weight of 450 kg. The good view from the cockpit is known. The landing gear has a retractable 5 "main wheel.
Flight characteristics
The 15 m version has a practical (not calculated or theoretical) glide ratio of 40. A typical handicap for all the first “racing class” generation aircraft with the corresponding flap profile ( LS3 , Mini Nimbus , Mosquito , PIK-20 ) is the extremely high sensitivity to contamination of the profile by mosquitoes or rain.
While the aircraft can be cranked very slowly, finding the ideal rate to climb is not that easy. The fuselage of the 15 m and 17 m versions is identical, so that the 15 m version is restless when cranking and has to be re-centered. However, the rudder effect is very good. During very slow straight flight (in waves or on a stable slope) the DG-200 climbs very well at +8 or +12 at 75–85 km / h.
In parallel flight next to an LS 4, small advantages for the LS 4 can be noticed up to about 120 km / h, a Discus clearly appears better. From 140–150 km / h - suitably arched - the DG-200 is ahead. In turn, the LS 4 and Discus have clear advantages when it comes to cranking, because, as mentioned, the 15 m version has to be readjusted constantly, and it just doesn't climb that well.
With a full tank (with water) and in good weather, it is particularly good at the race during a fast preliminary flight (from approx. 150 km / h). However, the aircraft is absolutely no longer comparable with the modern racing class, but there are special competitions for older aircraft.
Up and down
It takes just a few minutes to set up and dismantle, as the surfaces are the lightest in its class at the time. There are only automatic connections for flaps; Ailerons, elevator and airbrakes are connected manually through hotelier connections. The elevator is automatically connected to the DG 202.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | DG 200 | DG 202/17 |
|---|---|---|
| crew | 1 | |
| length | 7 m | |
| span | 15 m | 17 m |
| height | 1.4 m | |
| Wing area | 10 m² | 10.57 m² |
| Empty mass | 230 kg | 251 kg |
| Water ballast | 120 kg | 130 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 450 kg | |
| Max. Wing loading | 45 kg / m² | |
| Glide ratio | approx. 40 at 110 km / h | approx. 44 |
| Slightest sinking | 0.55 m / s at 72 km / h | 0.53 m / s |
| Demolition speed | 62 km / h | |
| Top speed | 270 km / h | |
See also
Web links
- Manufacturer and protector
- Type certification of DG single seaters - Type Certificate Data Sheet EASA.A.239 DG single seaters (PDF)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Type overview DG aircraft with first flight, construction figures, technical data and flight performance. (PDF; 126 kB) DG Flugzeugbau, March 4, 2016, accessed on July 4, 2019 .
