Whigham GW-2
{{Short description|American glider}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=GW-2 | image= | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Glider | national origin=United States | manufacturer= | designer=Gene Whigham | first flight=1964 | introduced= | retired= | status=No longer in production | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built=Two | developed from= Whigham GW-1 | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Whigham GW-2 is an American high-wing, single-seat, V-tailed, FAI Open Class glider that was designed and constructed by Gene Whigham, a retired flight test engineer for Convair.{{Cite web|url = http://www.sailplanedirectory.com/PlaneDetails.cfm?planeID=131|title = GW-2, GW-4 and GW-5 Whigham |accessdate = 5 July 2011|last = Activate Media|authorlink = |year = 2006}}Said, Bob: 1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine, page 67, Soaring Society of America November 1983. USPS 499-920
Design and development
The GW-2 was intended as a model that improved upon the performance of the GW-1. To that end it uses a {{convert|53|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} span wing with a much higher aspect ratio of 26:1 and a Wortmann FX 61-184 airfoil. The GW-2 also uses a V-tail.{{Cite web|url = http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/aircraft.html|title = The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage|accessdate = 1 July 2011|last = Lednicer|first = David|authorlink = |year = 2010|archive-date = April 20, 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100420012244/http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/aircraft.html|url-status = dead}}
The GW-2 is an all-metal design, with doped aircraft fabric covering on the aft part of the wing, behind the spar. The wing mounts spoilers for glide-path control. The landing gear is a fixed monowheel, with a secondary skid.
The prototype GW-2 was registered as N94291 and first flown in 1964. A second GW-2 was also completed.{{Cite web|url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=94291|title = Make / Model Inquiry Results N94291|accessdate = 5 July 2011|last = Federal Aviation Administration|authorlink = |date=July 2011}}{{Cite web|url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=4KW|title = Make / Model Inquiry Results N4KW|accessdate = 5 July 2011|last = Federal Aviation Administration|authorlink = |date=July 2011}}
Operational history
The prototype GW-1 was flown in three US National competitions.
In July 2011 one GW-2 remained on the Federal Aviation Administration registry.
Specifications (GW-2)
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|span ft=53
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|wing area sqft=108
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|aspect ratio=26:1
|airfoil=Wortmann FX 61-184
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=385
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|gross weight lb=620
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|wing loading lb/sqft=5.7
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See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Gene Whigham aircraft}}
Category:1960s United States sailplanes
Category:Aircraft first flown in 1964
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