Whigham GW-6
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.[1][2]
| GW-6 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Glider |
| National origin | United States |
| Designer | Gene Whigham |
| First flight | 1983 |
| Introduction | 1983 |
| Number built | one |
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 44 ft (13.4 m) 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.[1]
Only one GW-6 was constructed and it was registered with the Federal Aviation Administration as an Experimental - Amateur-built.[1][2]
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.[1][2]
Specifications (GW-6)
Data from Soaring[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Wingspan: 44 ft 0 in (13.41 m)
- Wing area: 88 sq ft (8.2 m2)
- Aspect ratio: 22:1
- Airfoil: NACA 43012A
- Empty weight: 323 lb (147 kg)
- Gross weight: 570 lb (259 kg)
Performance
- Maximum glide ratio: 32:1
- Wing loading: 6.47 lb/sq ft (31.6 kg/m2)
References
- Said, Bob: 1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine, page 68, Soaring Society of America November 1983. USPS 499-920
- Federal Aviation Administration (July 2011). "Make / Model Inquiry Results N3262N". Retrieved 5 July 2011.