The Eta is a

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Open Class two-seater flapped self-launching glider manufactured by ETA Aircraft. On introduction it was the highest performing glider.

Early flights

The Eta made its first flight on July 31, 2000 in Cochstedt,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, reaching a height of . The second flight was the first

aerotow Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is a ...

launch, reaching . The third flight was self powered and had no problems. The official presentation was on 1 August.

Production

Three Etas have been manufactured. The second prototype was extensively damaged in 2003 during the spin tests required for the type certification but both pilots parachuted to safety. The prototype was repaired and the tests completed successfully. The glider was to be produced by hand at a rate of about three per year.

Development

The Eta is an example of a trend in glider development in which private pilots initiate the development of new open class gliders. The private development of the Concordia sailplane promises a further elevation of the max

lift-to-drag ratio In aerodynamics, the lift-to-drag ratio (or L/D ratio) is the Lift (force), lift generated by an aerodynamic body such as an aerofoil or aircraft, divided by the aerodynamic drag caused by moving through air. It describes the aerodynamic efficie ...

to slightly over 75 at .

Operational history

An Eta participated in a World Championship for the first time in 2003 at

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. Its pilot,

Janusz Centka Janusz Centka (born 20 April 1950, in Tonowo) is a Polish glider pilot who has won two European and three World Gliding Championships.

, achieved an overall second place. Good placings have also been achieved by the Eta in later competitions. The glider is however hampered by the Open Class weight limitation which limits its

wing loading In aerodynamics, wing loading is the total weight of an aircraft or flying animal divided by the area of its wing. The stalling speed, takeoff speed and landing speed of an aircraft are partly determined by its wing loading. The faster an airc ...

in gusty weather to the advantage of its opponents.

Specifications

References

External links

Official site
of the Eta Glider project. {{DEFAULTSORT:Eta Aircraft Eta 2000s German sailplanes T-tail aircraft Aircraft first flown in 2000