Whigham GW-5
{{Short description|American glider}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=GW-5 | image= | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Glider | national origin=United States | manufacturer= | designer=Gene Whigham | first flight= | introduced=1980 | retired= | status= | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built=one | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Whigham GW-5 is an American mid-wing, single seat, FAI Standard 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{{Cite web|url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=8496C|title = Make / Model Inquiry Results N8496C|accessdate = 5 July 2011|last = Federal Aviation Administration|authorlink = |date=July 2011}}
Design and development
The GW-5 was designed for the standard class and as such it features a constant-chord {{convert|15|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} wing with a Wortmann FX 61-184 airfoil and flaps for glidepath control.{{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-5 is of all-metal construction. The landing gear is a faired fixed monowheel. The aircraft has a bubble canopy and a conventional low tail.
One GW-5 was built. It was completed in 1980 and registered with the Federal Aviation Administration in the Experimental - Amateur-built category.
Operational history
Specifications (GW-5)
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