Glaser-Dirks DG-300
Encyclopedia
A DG-300WL at Évora Évora Évora is a municipality in Portugal. It has total area of with a population of 55,619 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Évora District and capital of the Alentejo region. The municipality is composed of 19 civil parishes, and is located in Évora District.... , Portugal |
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| Type designation | DG-300 |
| Competition class | Club (formerly Standard) |
| Number built | 511 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Length | 6.80 m (22.31 ft) |
| Height | 1.39 m (4.56 ft) |
| Cockpit width | 0.63 m (2.07 ft) |
| Cockpit height | 0.81 m (2.66 ft) |
| Wingspan | 15 m (49.21 ft) |
| Wing area | 10.27 m² (110.5 ft²) |
| Aspect ratio | 21.9 |
| Wing profile | Horst & Quast HQ21/II |
| Empty weight | ca. 245 kg (540 lb) |
| Water ballast | 190 kg (419 lb) or 130 kg (287 lb) |
| Tail water ballast | 5.5 kg (12 lb) optional |
| Gross weight | 450 kg (992 lb) |
| Wing loading | 43.8 kg/m² 9.0 lb/ft²) |
| Maximum speed | 250 km/h (135 knots) |
| Maneuvering speed | 175 km/h (94 knots) |
| Stall speed | 65 km/h (35 knots) at 32 kg/m² |
| Minimum sink rate | 0.59 m/s at 78 km/h (116 ft/min at 42 knots) |
| Best glide ratio | 41 at 100 km/h (54 knots) 42 for DG-300WL |
| Roll rate (−45 to +45 bank) |
4 seconds at 95 km/h (51 knots) |
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
built of glass-reinforced plastic
Glass-reinforced plastic
Fiberglass , is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK ....
. The DG-300 was designed by Wilhelm Dirks and manufactured by Glaser-Dirks Flugzeugbau's Slovenian partner company Elan (company)
Elan (company)
Elan is a Slovenian company, located in Begunje, specializing in the production of sporting goods. It is best known for its skis and snowboards. Other products include sailboats from 30 to 50 ft length, motor yachts, apparel , equipment for sports facilities...
. A total of 511 of all versions were built since production started in 1983. Representative contemporary types from competing manufacturers are the Rolladen-Schneider LS4
Rolladen-Schneider LS4
|-See also:-References:**Thomas F, Fundamentals of Sailplane Design, College Park Press, 1999*Simons M, Segelflugzeuge 1965-2000, Eqip, 2004*Brütting G, Die berühmtesten Segelflugzeuge, Motorbuch Verlag**German-language Wikipedia*...
and the Schempp-Hirth Discus.
General description
The DG-300 has a flapless wing with triple taperTaper
In cymbal making, taper refers to the gradual change in thickness from the bell to the rim of the cymbal. It is one of the key features that determines the tone of the cymbal....
based on the Falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
designed by Hansjörg Streifeneder, and employs the HQ 21/II, a relatively thick profile (ca. 17.5%). This wing is 'blown' on the underside by 900 small holes to achieve a controlled transition from laminar to turbulent flow. As with any racing glider, the thickness of the wing makes it relatively sensitive to performance degradation due to contamination by insect impacts or rain drops.
It is agile and a good climber, but slightly underperforms compared to its competitors in cruising flight, especially at higher speeds. The later DG-303 version with a new wing profile and winglets was developed that delivers higher performance at low to medium speeds plus increased aileron response. A fully aerobatic version (the Acro) was also sold, stressed for +7/-5g.
The DG-300 has typical DG features, which improve comfort and safety if at a performance cost. It has the large cockpit typical of DG giving excellent comfort, especially in high-altitude flight where the full-length canopy allows the feet to be warmed by sunlight. The view from the cockpit is superb, adding to the pleasure and safety of flight.
After the bankruptcy of Glaser-Dirks the newly founded DG Flugzeugbau GmbH took over the servicing of these gliders.
The operational limits were changed on April 2007 after a defect was detected on the main spar. Aerobatic flight since then is not permitted, even for the Acro versions.
Major features
- Wings: spar of GRPGlass-reinforced plasticFiberglass , is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK ....
rovings, wing shell of GRP / foam sandwich - Elevator: GRP shell
- Rudder: GRP / foam sandwich
- Fuselage: GRP shell
- Conventional T-tail with fixed stabiliser and moving elevator
- Retractable, sprung undercarriage in a sealed gear box
- Large 5"x5" hub main wheel, 200x50 mm tail wheel
- Parallelogram control stick
- Automatic control connections
- Self-trimming spring system for the elevator, with trigger release on the control stick
- Schempp-Hirth air brakes on upper wing surface
- Water ballast bags in the wings for 130 or 190 litres
- Large canopy with low sill giving excellent in-flight visibility
Variants
DG-300- Initial production version
DG-300 Club
- With fixed undercarriage for club use
DG-300 Acro
- Fully aerobatic (restricted from aerobatic flight after 2007)
DG-303 Elan
Elan
Elan may refer to:Real or fictional people:*Elan Atias, United States singer-songwriter*Elán , Mexican singer*Elan , a character in the webcomic The Order of the Stick...
- With a new aerofoil section and winglets; available in standard, club and acro versions, built by the SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n company AMS-Flight until end of 2005
DG-303 Club
- With fixed undercarriage for club use
DG-303 Acro
- Fully aerobatic (restricted from aerobatic flight after 2007)