Cirrus
Role	Standard-class sailplane
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Schempp-Hirth
Designed by	Klaus Holighaus
First flight	02 / 20 / 1969
Number built	ca. 734

The Standard Cirrus is a glider built by Schempp-Hirth.

The Standard Cirrus was designed by Dipl. Ing. Klaus Holighaus and flew for the first time in March 1969. It is a Standard Class glider with a 15 metre span and no camber changing flaps. The all-moving tailplane that was a feature of many designs of that period due to its theoretically higher efficiency, caused less than desirable high speed stability characteristics, and so modifications were made to the early design. Even so, the glider is still very sensitive in pitch.

By April 1977, when production by Schempp-Hirth ended, a total of 700 Standard Cirruses had been built, including 200 built under licence by Grob between 1972 and July 1975. A French firm, Lanaverre Industrie, had also built 30 Standard Cirruses under licence by 1979. VTC of Yugoslavia also licence-built Standard Cirruses, reaching 14 by 1979.

Improvements were made with the Standard Cirrus 75. These included better air-brakes with an increased area and a modified nose.

The last Cirrus model was the G/81 built by VTC until 1985. This incorporated a longer fuselage and canopy and a conventional tailplane and elevator with the wings of the Cirrus 75. All models of Cirrus have proved very popular in recent years in 'Club Class' Competitions worldwide.

The Cirrus was superseded by the Discus.

[edit] Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Capacity: 80 kg (176 lb) water ballast
• Length: 6.35 m (20 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 15.00 m (49 ft 3 in)
• Height: 1.32 m (4 ft 4 in)
• Wing area: 10.0 m² (108 ft²)
• Aspect ratio: 22.5
• Wing profile: FX S-02-196 modified
• Empty weight: ca. 215 kg (473 lb)
• Gross weight: 390 kg (860 lb)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 220 km/h (140 mph)
• Maximum glide ratio: 38.5 (Measured ~36)
• Rate of sink: 0.6 m/s (120 ft/min)

[edit] References

• Schempp-Hirth Website
• Standard Cirrus Web Page
• Coates A.,Janes World Sailplanes and Motor Gliders, Janes,1980, ISBN 0 7106 0017 8, pg. 85
• Simons M, Segelflugzeuge 1965-2000, Eqip, 2004
• Sailplane Directory
• American narrative of World Championships (see 1968).

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