Schleicher ASK 16
Schleicher ASK 16 at Speyer-Edry airfield, Germany, in June 2007
Role	Touring motor glider
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co
Designed by	Rudolf Kaiser
First flight	2 February 1971
Introduced	1972
Status	in service
Primary user	club and private flyers
Number built	44

The ASK 16 was designed by Rudolf Kaiser for production by Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co of Furth, Germany. The aircraft is of welded tube, wood and fabric construction and has a low-set high-aspect-ratio wing.

Seating is side-by-side for two persons under a fully transparent side-hinged canopy. The standard powerplant is a 72 h.p. Limbach Volksvagen 1700 driving a Hoffman variable-pitch propeller.^[1]

The ASK 16 has a retractable tail-wheel undercarriage with the main units mounted under the wings and retracting inwards. It is fitted with dual controls to permit use in the primary training role.^[2]

[edit] Production and operation

The prototype first flew on 2 February 1971. 44 aircraft were built for club and private owner use.^[3] Most of the aircraft remained active in 2005, including examples flying in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

[edit] Specifications

Scleicher AS-K16 showing arrangement of underwing retractable undercarriage and side-hinged canopy

Data from Simpson, 2001, p. 488

General characteristics

• Crew: two
• Payload: 105 kg (230 lb)
• Length: 7.34 m (24 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 16.01 m (52 ft 6 in)
• Height: 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in)
• Wing area: 16.0 m²^[4] (205 ft²)
• Empty weight: 213 kg (470 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 318 kg (700 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Limbach SL.1700.EBI piston engine, 54 kW (72 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 200 km/h (108 knots, 124 mph)
• Cruise speed: 171 km/h (92 knots, 106 mph)
• Range: 330 km (178 nmi, 205 mi)
• Rate of climb: 2.5 m/s (492 ft/m)

[edit] References

Notes

Bibliography