Valentin Taifun
{{Short description|German motor glider, 1981}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2022}}
| {{Infobox Aircraft Begin
| name=Taifun | image=VALENTIN_GMBH_TAIFUN_17E_motorglider_N13BH_05.JPG | caption=Valentin Taifun 17E }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type | type=Motor glider | national origin=Germany | manufacturer=Valentin Flugzeugbau | designer= | first flight=28 February 1981 | introduced=1981 | retired= | status=Production completed | primary user= | number built=136 | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
File:VALENTIN GMBH TAIFUN 17E motorglider N13BH 07.JPG
The Valentin Taifun is a two-seat self-launching sailplane designed and built by Valentin Flugzeugbau GmbH of Hasfurt, Germany.
Design and development
The Taifun is an all glass-fibre low-wing cantilever monoplane with a T-tail and side-by-side seating for two occupants. It has a manually operated retractable tricycle landing gear. The Taifun is powered originally by an 80 hp (60 kW) Limbach L2000EB (Volkswagen) engine with later production aircraft being fitted with 90 hp (67 kW) Limbach L2400EB engine. The wings fold back along the fuselage sides for transportation and storage. The prototype, registered D-KONO, first flew on the 28 February 1981. The main production aircraft had a 17-metre wingspan and was designated the Taifun 17E. Two examples of aircraft with a 12-metre wingspan were built as the Taifun 12E which were classed as light-aircraft rather than a motor glider. An improved four-seat Taifun 11S was studied with a 115 hp (86 kW) Lycoming O-235 engine and fixed landing gear but the design was abandoned.
Variants
;Taifun 17E
:Main production variant with a 17 metre wingspan and a Limbach flat-four engine.
;Taifun 17E II
:Later production variant with a 17 metre wingspan and a Limbach flat-four engine or can be retrofitted with a Rotax 914, hydraulically operated landing gear, double panel Schempp-Hirth type airbrakes on the upper wing surface. aka WI Taifun 17 EII
;Taifun 12E
:Variant with a 12 metre wingspan, two built.
;Taifun 11S
:Planned variant with four-seats, not built.
Aircraft on display
- Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleissheim, near Munich, Germany.
Specifications (17E)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1985–86,{{cite book|title=Jane's all the world's aircraft, 1985-86 |editor1-last=Taylor|editor1-first=John W.R.|editor2-last=Munson|editor2-first=Kenneth |date=1985|publisher=Jane's Pub.|location=London|isbn=978-0-7106-0821-5|edition=76|page=744}} Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988-89{{cite book |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988-89 |year=1988 |publisher=Jane's Information Group |location=London |isbn=0-7106-0867-5 |editor=John W.R. Taylor|pages=634–635}}
|prime units?=met
|crew=2
|capacity=
|length m=7.782
|span m=17
|height m=2.48
|wing area sqm=17.6
|aspect ratio=16.4
|airfoil=Wortmann FX-67-K-170/17
|empty weight kg=610
|max takeoff weight kg=850
|fuel capacity={{convert|90|L|USgal impgal|0|abbr=on}}
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Limbach L.2000EB
|eng1 type=4-cyl. air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine
|eng1 kw=60
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=Mühlbauer MTV-1-A variable-pitch feathering propeller
|prop dia m=1.6
|cruise speed kmh=220
|cruise speed note=max
|stall speed kmh=72
|stall speed note=un-powered
|never exceed speed kmh=250
|never exceed speed note=in smooth air
::::{{convert|185|kph|kn mph|abbr=on}} in rough air
|range km=1250
|range note=with maximum fuel
|ceiling m=5000
|g limits=+5.3 -2.65
|glide ratio=30 at {{convert|105|kph|kn mph|abbr=on}}
|climb rate ms=3.2
|climb rate note=max at Sea level
|sink rate ms=0.95
|sink rate note=at {{convert|75|kph|kn mph|abbr=on}}
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=48.3
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=12.67 kg/kW (20.82 lb/hp)
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}
See also
{{aircontent
|see also=
|related=
|similar aircraft=
|sequence=
|lists=
}}
References
{{reflist}}
=Bibliography=
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book|title=Jane's all the world's aircraft, 1985-86 |editor1-last=Taylor|editor1-first=John W.R.|editor2-last=Munson|editor2-first=Kenneth |date=1985|publisher=Jane's Pub.|location=London|isbn=978-0-7106-0821-5|edition=76|page=744}}
- {{cite book |title=Jane's Encyclopaedia of Aviation |last=Taylor |first=Michael J.H. |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |isbn=978-0-517-69186-1}}
- {{cite book |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988-89 |year=1988 |publisher=Jane's Information Group |location=London |isbn=0-7106-0867-5 |editor=John W.R. Taylor}}
- {{cite book |last=Simpson |first= R.W.|title= Airlife's General Aviation|year=1991 |publisher= Airlife Publishing|location= England |isbn=1-85310-194-X}}
{{refend}}
External links
{{commons category|Valentin Taifun}}
- [http://easa.europa.eu/ws_prod/c/doc/Design_Appro/Aircrafts/TCDS_A_299_Taifun_17_E_issue_01.pdf European Aviation Safety Agency Type Certificate Data Sheet - Taifun 17E]
Category:1980s German sailplanes
Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft
Category:Aircraft first flown in 1981