Orlican VT-16 Orlik

The Orlican VT-16 Orlik is a single-seat club glider, serving Czech gliding clubs and setting several national records in the early 1960s.

Not to be confused with Warsztaty Szybowcowe Orlik.
VT-16 Orlik
Role Club and competition single-seat glider
National origin Czechoslovakia
Manufacturer Orlican
Designer Jiri Matejček
First flight August 1959
Number built c.85

Design and development

The VT-16 Orlik was designed by Jiri Matejček and is a high-wing monoplane of all-wood construction, except that the skin is stabilized with polystyrene foam. Its wing has a single spar structure with a forward torsion box; the whole wing is plywood skinned and foam filled, allowing the ribs to be comparatively widely spaced. In plan it is straight-tapered with blunt tips; there are 3° of dihedral. It has conventional plain ailerons and spoilers at mid-chord, which extend both above and below the wing. At the time of its first flight in August 1959 it was a Standard Class glider with a 15 m (49 ft 3 in) span. Later aircraft had 16 m (52 ft 6 in) and 18 m (59 ft 1 in) spans but it was the 16 m version that went into series production.[1][2]

The fuselage of the Orlik is a semi-monocoque of deep oval cross-section, tapering to the tail. The single-seat cockpit, placed just ahead of the wing, is covered by a side-hinged blown canopy. Its tail is conventional with a straight-edged, ply-covered and foam-filled all-moving tailplane, fitted with an anti-balance tab, mounted on top of the fuselage and ahead of the small fin which is constructed in the same way. The fabric-covered, balanced rudder is broad and taller than the fin, reaching down to the keel. Overall, the vertical tail has almost upright straight edges and a blunt tip. The Orlik has a fixed, semi-recessed monowheel ahead of the wing leading edge, assisted by a small tail bumper.[1][2]

Operational history

25 VT-16 Orliks were produced[2] in the first series production run, going to Czech gliding clubs.[1] The Orlik also set several new Czech national gliding records during 1962.[1] 15 VT-16s and 48 VT-116s remain on the Czech civil aircraft register in 2010, though some are disassembled.[3]

Variants
VT-16 Orlik
about 25 built.
VT-116 Orlik II
more than 50 built.

Aircraft on display
Orlik I on display at the Prague Aviation Museum, Kbely
  • Prague Aviation Museum, Kbely: Orlik I OE-2408[4]

Specifications (VT-16)

Data from The World's Sailplanes II, p.62-3[2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Length: 7.40 m (24 ft 3 in)
  • Wingspan: 16.0 m (52 ft 6 in)
  • Wing area: 12.80 m2 (137.8 sq ft)
  • Aspect ratio: 20.0
  • Airfoil: NACA 64-818
  • Empty weight: 215 kg (474 lb)
  • Gross weight: 320 kg (705 lb)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 220 km/h (140 mph, 120 kn) placard, smooth air
  • Stall speed: 61 km/h (38 mph, 33 kn)
  • Maximum glide ratio: 32.5 at 71 km/h (44 mph; 38 kn)
  • Rate of sink: 0.56 m/s (110 ft/min) at 63 km/h (39 mph; 34 kn)
  • Wing loading: 25.0 kg/m2 (5.1 lb/sq ft)
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See also

Related development

  • Orlican VSO 10 Single-seat glider built in glass-fibre plus aluminium, steel and wood.

References
  1. Hardy, Michael (1982). Gliders & Sailplanes of the World. London: Ian Allan Ltd. p. 140. ISBN 0 7110 1152 4.
  2. Shenstone, B.S.; Wilkinson, K.G. (1963). The World's Sailplanes. II. Organisation Scientifique et Technique Internationale du Vol à Voile (OSTIV) and Schweizer Aero-Revue. pp. 62–3.
  3. Partington, Dave (2010). European registers handbook 2010. Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 978-0-85130-425-0.
  4. Ogden, Bob (2009). Aviation Museums and Collections of Mainland Europe. Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. p. 63. ISBN 978 0 85130 418 2.
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