The first-ever all-carbon composite sailplane yields unprecedented maneuverability and top performance. Sailpaning--unpowered flight - is an expensive pastime. There are several sailplane categories: Open, 15-meter, Standard and Ultralight. Large, high-performance Open-class sailplanes sport wingspans from 18m/59 ft to 30.5m/100 ft and a price of 100,000dollar to 200,000dollar (USD) or more. Smaller, more moderately priced sailplanes compete in the 15-meter class, limited to 15m/49-ft wingspans but with no other design restrictions. The Standard class, also limited to 15m wingspans, uses no performance-enhancing wing flaps. But the final category of sailplane, the Ultralight, is restricted not by wingspan, but by empty weight - to a maximum of 70 kg/155 Ib. Ultralights are often dubbed "floaters" for their relatively glow speed and poor cross-country (i.e., straight-flight) performance. Standard class sailplanes, by comparison, offer much better cross-country performance, but cost significantly more than Ultralight planes. They also may not maneuver as well in the air and are harder to manage on the ground because of both size and weight. Bridging these two classes, a new lightweight sailplane, the SparrowHawk from Windward Performance LLG (Bend, Ore., U.S.A.), is designed to meet Ultralight weight requirements and reduce sailplane cost into the bargain, while offering performance equivalent to or better than Standard-class sailplanes. The key to both performance and affordability, surprisingly, is carbon fiber.
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