Alisport Silent Club
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| Type designation | Silent Club pure |
| Competition class | FAI DU Class |
| Number built | ca. 80 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Length | 6.35 m (20.8 ft) |
| Height | 1.25 m (4.1 ft) |
| Cockpit width | 0.63 m (2.1 ft) |
| Cockpit height | 0.91 m (3 ft) |
| Wingspan | 12 m (39.4 ft) |
| Wing area | 10.3 m² (111 sq ft) |
| Aspect ratio | 14.0 |
| Wing profile | IMD 002 (18%) |
| Empty mass | 125 kg |
| Maximum mass | 290 kg (640 lb) |
| Wing loading | 34 kg/m² (6.96 lb/sq ft) |
| Maximum speed | 200 km/h (124 knots) |
| Speed in rough air | 135 km/h (73 knots) |
| Stall speed | 62 km/h (34 knots) |
| Minimum sink rate | 0.70 m/s at 70 km/h (138 ft/min at 46 knots) |
| Best glide ratio | 31 at 85 km/h (46 knots) |
| Roll rate | 4 s at 80 km/h (43 knots) -45° to +45° bank |
The Silent Club is a single seater sailplane of Italian manufacture. It is of the FAI type DU Class glider. It is sold by Alisport ready-to-fly or kit-built as pure glider or self-launching glider. The self-launching version is fitted with a single-blade propeller belt-driven by a two-stroke engine.
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[edit] Design and construction
- The fuselage is carbon and glass fiber composite with epoxy resin.
- The wings spans 12 meters without winglets.
- The flaperons stretch for 10.0 meters of the full wingspan.
- Schempp-Hirth-type spoilers extend on the upper wing surface only.
- Fixed or retractable main wheel behind the pilot, with shock absorber and drum brake activated via spoiler control lever aft travel.
[edit] Safety and operational qualities
- The Silent Club has light ailerons, light elevator, generous rudder. The roll rate is quick because of the lively feel of the ailerons.
- Stall is predictable and recovery simple. In level flight as airspeed is reduced when approaching the stall speed the sailplane vibrate a little, at this point decreasing the angle of attack results in airspeed increase and normal flight resume, from a climbing attitude the sailplane stall decisively, the nose pitch down gently and recovery is easy with stick forward.
- Spin entry is obvious and recovered with rudder and stick.
[edit] Versions
There are three versions of the Silent Gliders.
The Silent Club version has 12 meter wingspan.
The Silent 2 version has 13 meter wingspan.
The Silent 2 Targa version 13.3 meter wingspan and a special elevator.
[edit] Sources
- Silent Club Flight Manual
- http://www.alisport.com/eu/eng/alianti.htm
- http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/glider_handbook/media/faa-h-8083-13.pdf
- Soaring March 2005
- http://www.glidingmagazine.com/FeatureArticle.asp?id=368
- http://www.alisport.com/eu/images/img_news/Volaresett04/VOLARE_SETT04.htm
