Slingsby Kirby Tutor

{{Infobox aircraft begin

| name=T.8 Kirby Tutor (Cadet TX.2)

| image=Paul Blanchard (climbing out of glider).jpg

| caption=

}}{{Infobox aircraft type

| type=Sport Glider

| national origin=United Kingdom

| manufacturer=Slingsby Sailplanes

| designer=John Sproule

| first flight=1937

| introduced=

| retired=

| status=

| primary user=

| number built= T.8 Kirby Tutor - ca 44 (+kits and wing sets) T.8 Cadet TX Mk.2 - 62

| developed from= Slingsby T.7 Kirby Kadet and BAC VII

| variants with their own articles=Slingsby T.29 Motor Tutor

}}

The Slingsby T.8 Kirby Tutor was a single-seat sport glider produced from 1937, by Fred Slingsby in Kirbymoorside, Yorkshire.{{Cite web|title=Slingsby T-8 Kirby Tutor|url=http://www.all-aero.com/index.php/60-gliders/10281-slingsby-t-8-kirby-tutor|website=www.all-aero.com}}

Design and development

The T.8 Kirby Tutor (a.k.a. Taper-wing Kadet) came about at the request of the Midland Gliding Club which wanted a higher performance aircraft to progress to after the T.7 Kirby Kadet.{{Cite web|title=A QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE TO WOODEN SAIL PLANES BUILT BY SLINGSBYS, KIRBY MOORSIDE(Version 2)|url=http://www.glidingheritage.org.uk/documents/articles/slingsby_guide_v3.pdf|website=Gliding Heritage}} John Sproule adapted the wings from a BAC VII to fit onto the T.7 Kirby Kadet fuselage. The higher-aspect ratio wings gave a measurable increase in performance for minimum cost. Gliding clubs could also elect to buy the wings alone and fit them to Kirby Kadet fuselages as required. Post-war the absence of spoilers was rectified by a modification which was applied to most surviving aircraft.

History

The T.8 Kirby Tutor was immediately popular but only seven complete aircraft were sold before the outbreak of World War II, as well as kits of parts, spares and sets of wings (for retrofit to T.7 Kirby Kadets).{{sfn|Simons|1993|p=25}} The T.8 Tutor was also produced for use by the Air Training Corps, being renamed Slingsby T.8 Cadet TX Mk.2. Sixty-two Cadet TX Mk.2s were ordered from 1944 with simple windscreens and landing wheels.{{sfn|Simons|1993|p=26}}

Postwar Slingsby sub-contracted Martin Hearn Ltd to build 25 new T.7 Kirby Kadets and 25 new T.8 Kirby Tutors and these were followed by about a dozen more built by Slingsby at Kirbymoorside.{{sfn|Simons|1993|p=36}} The interchangeability of the components led to many hybrid aircraft having wings and fuselages of all types mixed together. During the 1960s the numbers dwindled, especially when an urgent inspection of the main-spars was called for. The cost of the inspection and resultant rectification work often exceeded the value of the aircraft, with many being withdrawn from use. An example is on display at the Gliding Heritage Centre.

Operators

;Air Training Corps

Specifications

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=British Gliders and Sailplanes 1922-1970,{{cite book|last=Ellison|first=Norman|title=British Gliders and Sailplanes 1922-1970|location=London|year=1971|edition=1st|pages=178|isbn=0-7136-1189-8}} and The World's Sailplanes:Die Segelflugzeuge der Welt:Les Planeurs du Monde {{cite book|last=Shenstone|first=B.S.|title=The World's Sailplanes:Die Segelflugzeuge der Welt:Les Planeurs dans Le Monde|year=1958|publisher=Organisation Scientifique et Technique Internationale du Vol a Voile (OSTIV) and Schweizer Aero-Revue|location=Zurich|pages=120–125|edition=1st |author2=K.G. Wilkinson |author3=Peter Brooks|language=en, fr, de}}{{harvnb|Bridgman|1956|p=92}}

|prime units?=imp

|crew=1

|length m=6.37

|span m=13.24

|height m=

|height ft=

|height in=

|height note=

|wing area sqm=15.79

|aspect ratio=11

|airfoil=Göttingen 426

|empty weight kg=160

|empty weight note= equipped

|gross weight kg=

|gross weight lb=

|gross weight note=

|max takeoff weight kg=258.5

|stall speed kmh=49

|never exceed speed kmh=145

|never exceed speed note=

Aerotow speed: {{convert|70|mph|km/h kn|abbr=on}}
Winch launch speed: {{convert|66|mph|km/h kn|abbr=on}}

|g limits=+6

|sink rate ms=0.89

|sink rate note= at {{convert|34|mph|km/h kn|abbr=on}}

|lift to drag=18 at {{convert|39|mph|km/h kn|abbr=on}}

|wing loading kg/m2=16.4

}}

References

=Notes=

=Bibliography=

{{cite book|last=Shenstone|first=B.S.|title=The World's Sailplanes:Die Segelflugzeuge der Welt:Les Planeurs dans Le Monde|year=1958|publisher=Organisation Scientifique et Technique Internationale du Vol a Voile (OSTIV) and Schweizer Aero-Revue|location=Zurich|pages=120–125|edition=1st |author2=K.G. Wilkinson |author3=Peter Brooks|language=en, fr, de}}
{{cite book |title= Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1956-57|last= Bridgman |first= Leonard |year=1956|publisher= Jane's All the World's Aircraft Publishing Co. Ltd|location= London}}
{{cite magazine |last=Simons |first=Martin |title=Sling's Sailplanes — Part 8 |magazine=Aeroplane Monthly |date=March 1993 |volume=21 |issue=3 |pages=24–28 |issn=0143-7240}}