The Schempp-Hirth Ventus is a
sailplane
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the leisure activity and sport of gliding (also called soaring). This unpowered aircraft can use naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to gain altitude. Sailplan ...
produced during 1980–1994 by
Schempp-Hirth
Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau GmbH is a glider manufacturer based in Kirchheim unter Teck, Germany.
History
Martin Schempp founded his own company in Göppingen in 1935, with the assistance of Wolf Hirth.
The company was initially called "Sport ...
, a German sailplane manufacturer.
It was designed by
Klaus Holighaus __NOTOC__
Klaus Holighaus (14 July 1940 – 9 August 1994) was a Glider (sailplane), glider designer, gliding, glider pilot and entrepreneur.[Schempp-Hirth Mini-Nimbus
The Schempp-Hirth Mini Nimbus is a 15 Metre-class glider designed and built by Schempp-Hirth GmbH in the late 1970s.
Design and development
In designing the Mini-Nimbus, Klaus Holighaus incorporated the flapped wings from the Glasflügel 3 ...](_blank)
. Schempp-Hirth manufactured 613 Ventus sailplanes.
Design and development
The decline in the cost of
carbon fibre
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers ( Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon comp ...
during the 1970s allowed sailplane designers to design large components from carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). The use of carbon-fibre lay-ups, designed to reduce aero-elasticity of wings, has allowed CFRP gliders to be designed to cruise at much higher speeds than those with wings made from fibreglass (GFRP) or wood, as well as take advantage of thinner
aerofoil
An airfoil (American English) or aerofoil (British English) is a streamlined body that is capable of generating significantly more lift than drag. Wings, sails and propeller blades are examples of airfoils. Foils of similar function designed ...
sections. The Ventus has a 15-metre wingspan, using CFRP in its structure, complying with 15 m Racing Class specifications. Extended wingtips can be fitted to increase the span to 16.6 metres for competition in the Open Class. The fuselage was also produced in two sizes to suit pilots of different heights – the Ventus A for short pilots and Ventus B with a longer and wider cockpit. Both Ventus A and Ventus B have a complex flap/brake arrangement similar to that of the
Glasflügel Mosquito
The firm Glasflügel () was founded by Eugen Hänle in 1962 and was located in Schlattstall, south of Kirchheim unter Teck. It was the first firm to manufacture a glass-fibre sailplane in large numbers. It was also responsible for a large number ...
and the
Mini-Nimbus, but the Ventus C reverted to conventional upper-surface air-brakes that are separate from the trailing-edge flaps.
Wingtip extensions could be fitted to the Ventus A and B to increase the wingspan to 16.6 m. Longer extensions could be fitted to the Ventus C to increase the span to 17.6 m. Modified extensions with winglets are also available. Some Ventus Bs and Cs are equipped with a small sustaining engine ("turbo") and are designated with a ''T'' while some are equipped with a more powerful engine and are self-launching and are designated with an ''M''.
The best measured
glide ratio
In aerodynamics, the lift-to-drag ratio (or L/D ratio) is the 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 efficiency under give ...
of a Ventus at 15 metres wingspan is 44:1, improving to 46:1 with the 16.6 metre tips, giving a creditable performance for the 1980s and 1990s. Ventus sailplanes won two
World Gliding Championships
The World Gliding Championships (WGC) is a gliding competitions, gliding competition held roughly every two years by the FAI Gliding Commission. The dates are not always exactly two years apart, often because the contests are always held in the sum ...
, competing against the
ASW 20 and later the
LS6 in the 15 m class. Whilst the Ventus A and B acquired reputations for unparalleled high-speed glide performance, the Ventus C introduced improvements in handling.
About 613 Ventus sailplanes were built before being replaced by the
Schempp-Hirth Ventus 2 in 1995.
The Ventus 1 remains a competitive glider winning national level competitions. The Ventus 1A is still being flown at the World Championship level in 2017.
Variants
data from:Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau GmbH website
;Ventus A (15m / 16.6m)
:The production standard 15m class Ventus with shorter and narrower cockpit.
;Ventus B (15m / 16.6m)
:Production aircraft with larger cockpit for larger pilot.
;Ventus BT (15m / 16.6m)
:The Ventus B with a retractable sustainer motor.
;Ventus C (15m / 17.6m)
:Later model with improved handling and air brakes separate from the trailing-edge flaps.
;Ventus CT (15m / 17.6m)
:The Ventus C with a retractable sustainer motor.
;Ventus CM (15m / 17.6m)
:The Ventus C with a retractable motor for self-launching.
Specifications (Ventus C)
See also
Notes
Further reading
*
*
External links
Johnson R,
A FTE of the Ventus A, Soaring, December 1981
A FTE of the Ventus B, Soaring, June 1982
A FTE of the 16.6m Ventus, Soaring, April 1984Flight GlobalSchempp-Hirth websiteSpecifications of Schempp-Hirth Ventus
{{Schempp-Hirth
1980s German sailplanes
Ventus
T-tail aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1980