Beaufort Gliding Club Zephyrus
VH-GHZ S/N GFA-HB-60
Specifications
- Span:- 17.5m / 56.3ft
- Area:- 21.88m2 / 235.5ft2
- Aspect ratio:- 13.5
- Airfoil:- N.A.C.A. 4415
- Empty weight:- 433kg / 954.6lb
- Payload:- 184kg / 406lb
- Gross weight:- 617kg / 1,360lb
- Wing loading:- 28.17kg/m2 / 5.77lb/ft2
- Structure:- steel tube and wood.
Performance
- L/D:- max. 25 @ 93kph / 50kts
- Vne:- 193kph / 104kts / 120mph
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| The Beaufort Gliding Club Zephyrus, designed to
American standards, is a two place, high-wing, strutted monoplane.
It was originally designed as a single-seat glider in Melbourne during the late 1940's by
club member Douglas Lyon. The design was modified to a high-performance two-seat configuration in 1951 and construction was commenced by the Beaufort Gliding Club shortly thereafter. Declining membership in the fifties
delayed construction and it was not until 1966 that the glider first flew.
It has a fuselage of steel tube framework covered with fabric. The
wings are of glued wooden construction and have a single main spar. This
spar is continuous and straight between the wing root and the wing tip.
Casein glue has been used throughout the wing and the timbers used have
been spruce for solid sections and birch for plys. A rear false spar
carries the aileron along its outer portion. A drag spar runs between the
rear fuselage attachment fitting and the strut attachment fitting on the
main spar. An unusual feature is that the rear cockpit is accessed through a hinged door on the starboard side. The Zephyrus soars well and has made
many good cross-country flights including several in excess of 300 kms. In 1988 the Zephyrus was placed first on handicap in the Australian National Two-Seat Championships, flying against the more modern Janus and Twin Astir sailplanes. |
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Schempp-Hirth Janus B
VH-IZI S/N 71
Specifications
- Span:- 18.2m / 59.8ft
- Area:- 16.6m2 / 178.7ft2
- Aspect ratio:- 20
- Airfoil:- Wortmann FX-67-K-170/15
- Empty weight:- 370kg / 816lb
- Payload:- 250kg
- Gross weight:- 650kg / 1,367lb
- Wing loading:- 37.4kg/m2 / 7.66lb/ft2
- Structure:- Fibreglass.
Performance
- L/D:- max. 39 @ 95kph / 51kts
- Vne:- 220kph / 119kts
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| Designed by Klaus Holighaus in 1969, the prototype first
flew in 1974 and production commenced in 1975. The Janus is a high
performance, flapped two-seater fitted with a non-retractable undercarriage
with a Disk brake. The Janus B became available to customers in March
1978, this having a fixed-incidence tailplane instead of the all-moving type
previously fitted. VH-IZI first flew in 1979. |
Grob Twin Astir
VH-IKM S/N 3038
Specifications
- Span:- 17.5m / 57.4ft
- Length:- 8.1m / 26.6ft
- Area:- 17.9m2 / 192.7ft2
- Aspect ratio:- 17.1
- Airfoil:- Eppler E 603
- Empty weight:- 420kg / 705lb
- Payload:- 230 kg / 507 lb
- Water Ballast:- 90kg / 198lb
- Gross weight:- 650kg / 1,430lb
- Wing loading:- 37.79kg/m2 / 7.73lb/ft2
- Structure:- fibreglass
Performance
- L/D:- max. 38 @ 110kph / 59kts
- Min sink:- 0.62m/s / 2.23fps / 1.32kts @ 75kph / 40kts / 46mph
- Vne:- 250kph / 135kts / 155mph
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| The Twin Astir was a two-seat development of the
Standard Class Astir CS. The prototype Twin Astir first flew on 31
December 1976. VH-IKM is one of the original production aircraft and
first flew on 28 December 1977. Grob's early model Twin Astirs have
a retractable landing gear that retracts by folding up to the left and
lying horizontally under the rear seat. Water Ballast tanks
are also fitted. In contrast to
later G 103 models, the Twin Astir has the main wheel ahead of the centre of gravity, and does not have a nose wheel.
Manufactured with a tailskid, VH-IKM was fitted with a tail wheel in April
1978 upon arrival in Australia. |
Beaufort Gliding Club
