Sailplanes Are By Nature Graceful, But The New German Schempp-Hirth Ventus-2cxa With The FES Propulsion System Is Nothing Less Than Stunning

The history of gliders predates the Wright Brothers and ultimately led to their success with their first powered airplane which was a variation of their 1902 glider design. Over the years as powered aircraft took the front page news from gliders, soaring became a hobby and a recognized sport around the world.

The term glider has been changed to the term sailplane when applied to modern gliding aircraft. The technology of modern sailplanes is nothing less than spectacular and the new wave of interest is to have a high-performance sailplane that can self-launch.

Schempp-Hirth, in partnership with LZ Design, has presented their new Ventus-2cxa equipped with a Front Electric Sustainer (FES) motor. The innovative motor plus a foldable propeller are built into the glider’s nose with two batteries embedded in the fuselage. Each battery weighs 35 pounds. Testing of the FES system is continuing and comments from the company indicate that initial climb, cruise and endurance performance exceed their expectations.

Schempp-Hirth is planning to place the Ventus-2cxa equipped with LZ Design's FES propulsion system into production with first deliveries possible during the soaring season of 2015. They expect the timeline for EASA certification should not be an issue.

(Image provided by Schempp-Hirth)

FMI: www.schempp-hirth.com