Whigham GW-6
{{Short description|American glider}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=GW-6 | image= | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Glider | national origin=United States | manufacturer= | designer=Gene Whigham | first flight=1983 | introduced=1983 | retired= | status= | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built=one | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Whigham GW-6 is an American mid-wing, single-seat, glider that was designed and constructed by Gene Whigham, a retired flight test engineer for Convair.Said, Bob: 1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine, page 68, Soaring Society of America November 1983. USPS 499-920{{Cite web|url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=3262N|title = Make / Model Inquiry Results N3262N|accessdate = 5 July 2011|last = Federal Aviation Administration|authorlink = |date=July 2011}}
Design and development
Whigham completed and flew the GW-6 in 1983. The aircraft was intended to be a very lightweight glider and incorporated some design innovations to achieve that goal. The wing spar was built up from extruded angles, with a sheet aluminium spar web. The wing ribs are made from sheet aluminium and the wing is covered in doped aircraft fabric covering. The wing has large ailerons, a 22:1 aspect ratio and a {{convert|44|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} span. The tailplane and elevator are small in size. The normal flight centre of gravity is at 35% of chord, which is more aft than usual with the NACA 43012A airfoil employed.
Only one GW-6 was constructed and it was registered with the Federal Aviation Administration as an Experimental - Amateur-built.
Operational history
Soaring Magazine reported that the GW-6 had about 65 hours of flying time by late in the summer of 1983, Whigham having flown it that season while building the GW-7. In July 2011 the aircraft was still on the FAA registry and owned by John B. Waters of San Diego, California.
Specifications (GW-6)
{{Aircraft specs
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=one
|capacity=
|length m=
|length ft=
|length in=
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=44
|span in=0
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=88
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=22:1
|airfoil=NACA 43012A
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=323
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=570
|gross weight note=
|more general=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|glide ratio= 32:1
|sink rate ms=
|sink rate ftmin=
|sink rate note=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=6.47
|wing loading note=
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Gene Whigham aircraft}}
Category:1980s United States sailplanes