Whigham GW-7
{{Short description|American glider}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=GW-7 | image= | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Glider | national origin=United States | manufacturer= | designer=Gene Whigham | first flight=1987 | introduced= | retired= | status=No longer in production | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built=one | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Whigham GW-7 is an American mid-wing, single-seat, 15 metre class glider that was designed and constructed by Gene Whigham, a retired Convair flight test engineer.{{Cite web|url = http://www.sailplanedirectory.com/PlaneDetails.cfm?planeID=132|title = GW-7 Whigham |accessdate = 5 July 2011|last = Activate Media|authorlink = |year = 2006}}{{Cite web|url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=6198|title = Make / Model Inquiry Results N6198|accessdate = 5 July 2011|last = Federal Aviation Administration|authorlink = |date=July 2011}}
Design and development
Whigham's last glider design was the GW-7. The aircraft was completed and first flew in 1987.
The GW-7 is of all metal construction, has a {{convert|15|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} wing span and employs a NASA NLF(1)-0215F airfoil. The flaps and ailerons are interconnected. The flaps travel +/-10° in normal flight in concert with the ailerons and then can be deployed to 60° for glidepath control on landing.{{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}}
Only one GW-7 was constructed and it was registered with the Federal Aviation Administration as an Experimental - Amateur-built.
Operational history
In July 2011 the sole GW-7 built was still on the FAA registry and owned by Donald Macey of Fallon, Nevada.
Specifications (GW-7)
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|wing area sqft=92
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|aspect ratio=27:1
|airfoil=NASA NLF(1)-0215F
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=333
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|gross weight lb=532
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|glide ratio=39:1 at {{convert|48|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}
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|sink rate ftmin=110
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|wing loading lb/sqft=5.78
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See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Gene Whigham aircraft}}
Category:1980s United States sailplanes