Grob G103 Twin Astir: Difference between revisions

G 103 Twin Astir
	G103 Twin Astir landing
Role	Sailplane
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Grob Aircraft
First flight	31 December 1976
Number built	291

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Latest revision as of 01:48, 9 May 2024

The Grob G 103 Twin Astir is a glass-reinforced plastic two-seat sailplane that was developed in Germany in the 1970s by Grob Aircraft AG as a counterpart to the single-seat G 102 Astir, then in production. Construction throughout is similar, although to preserve the centre of gravity of the design, the wings were given a slight forward sweep. While many two-seat derivatives of single-seat sailplanes have fixed undercarriage, due to the added space restrictions created by the second seat, Grob devised a novel retraction system for the Twin Astir. The single wheel was designed to rotate 90° sideways before retracting "flat" under the rear seat, resulting in a rather unusual seating position. This was only incorporated in early examples, later on, the wheel was fixed. Factory options offered to customers included whether the front seat should be equipped with flight instruments, and whether water ballast capacity should be installed.

Production continued until around 1980, when it was replaced in production by the Twin II, a new and not directly related design originally designated G 118 but later redesignated the G 103a. The G 103a was in turn replaced by the Twin III in production in 1989.

The Twin was one of the first two-seat sailplanes built from fibreglass and has higher glide performance than most similar sailplanes of the time (e.g. Schleicher ASK 21, Scheibe SF 34 and SZD-50 Puchacz).

Operators

Italy

Italian Air Force operated 9 Grob G103 Twin Astir from 1975 until 1999^[1]

Australia

Australian Air Force Cadets currently operates 2 Twin Astirs as of 2020^[2]

Specifications

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 8.1 m (26 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 17.5 m (57 ft 5 in)
Height: 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Wing area: 17.8 m² (191.6 sq ft)
Aspect ratio: 17.1
Empty weight: 390 kg (860 lb)
Gross weight: 650 kg (1,435 lb)

Performance

Maximum speed: 250 km/h (160 mph, 135 kn)
Maximum glide ratio: 38
Rate of sink: 0.60 m/s (120 ft/min)

References

^ aeroflight
^ "AAFC". Australian Air Force Cadets - Gliding. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2020.

Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 441.
Hardy, Michael (1982). Gliders and Sailplanes of the World. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 49.
Coates, Andrew (1978). Jane's World Sailplanes and Motor Gliders. London: MacDonald and Jane's. p. 61.

External links

Homepage of Grob Aircraft AG

[1] roflight

[2] "AAFC". Australian Air Force Cadets - Gliding. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2020.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|German two-seat glider, 1976}}
-__NOTOC__
 <!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
-{{No footnotes|date=December 2012}}
+{{More footnotes|date=December 2012}}
 {|{{Infobox Aircraft Begin
  |name=G 103 Twin Astir
- |image=Grob G 103 Twin Astir.jpg
+ |image=Grob G103 Twin Astir, Private JP7712425.jpg
- |caption=A G 103 Twin Astir landing
+ |caption=G103 Twin Astir landing
 }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type
  |type=Sailplane
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
  |manufacturer=[[Grob Aircraft]]
  |designer=
- |first flight=31 December {{avyear|1976}}
+ |first flight=31 December 1976
  |introduced=
  |retired=
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 |}
-The '''Grob G 103 Twin Astir''' was a two-seat sailplane developed in Germany in the 1970s by [[Grob Aircraft|Grob Aircraft AG]] as a counterpart to the single-seat [[Grob G 102 Astir|G 102 Astir]] then in production. Construction throughout was similar, although to preserve the balance of the design, the wings were given a slight forward sweep. While many two-seat derivatives of single-seat sailplanes have fixed undercarriage, due to the added space restrictions created by the second seat, Grob devised a novel retraction system for the Twin Astir. The single wheel was designed to rotate 90° sideways before retracting "flat" under the rear seat, resulting in a rather unusual seating position. This was only incorporated in early examples, later on, the wheel was fixed. Options offered to customers included whether the front seat should be equipped with flight instruments, and whether water ballast capacity should be installed.
+The '''Grob G 103 Twin Astir''' is a [[glass-reinforced plastic]] two-seat [[Glider (sailplane)|sailplane]] that was developed in Germany in the 1970s by [[Grob Aircraft|Grob Aircraft AG]] as a counterpart to the single-seat [[Grob G 102 Astir|G 102 Astir]], then in production. Construction throughout is similar, although to preserve the [[Center of gravity of an aircraft|centre of gravity]] of the design, the wings were given a slight forward sweep. While many two-seat derivatives of single-seat sailplanes have fixed undercarriage, due to the added space restrictions created by the second seat, Grob devised a novel retraction system for the Twin Astir. The single wheel was designed to rotate 90° sideways before retracting "flat" under the rear seat, resulting in a rather unusual seating position. This was only incorporated in early examples, later on, the wheel was fixed. Factory options offered to customers included whether the front seat should be equipped with flight instruments, and whether water ballast capacity should be installed.
-Production continued until around 1980, when it was replaced in production by the [[Grob G103a Twin II|Twin II]], a new and not directly related design originally designated '''G 118''' but later redesignated the '''G 103a'''.
+Production continued until around 1980, when it was replaced in production by the [[Grob G103a Twin II|Twin II]], a new and not directly related design originally designated ''G 118'' but later redesignated the ''G 103a''. The G 103a was in turn replaced by the [[Grob G103c Twin III|Twin III]] in production in 1989.
+The Twin was one of the first two-seat sailplanes built from [[fibreglass]] and has higher glide performance than most similar sailplanes of the time (e.g. [[Schleicher ASK 21]], [[Scheibe SF 34]] and [[SZD-50 Puchacz]]).
+==Operators==
+[[File:Australian Air Force Cadet onboard a glider.jpg|thumb|Australian Air Force Cadets using the Twin Astir for gliding training. 2010]]
+;{{ITA}}
+* [[Italian Air Force]]  operated 9 Grob G103 Twin Astir from 1975 until 1999<ref>[http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/italy/af/ital-af2-all-time.htm aeroflight]</ref>
+;{{AUS}}
+* [[Australian Air Force Cadets]] currently operates 2 Twin Astirs as of 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aafc.org.au/what-we-do/gliding/|title=AAFC|date=1 January 2018|website=Australian Air Force Cadets - Gliding|access-date=20 April 2020}}</ref>
-<!-- ==Development== -->
-<!-- ==Operational history== -->
-<!-- ==Variants== -->
-<!-- ==Units using this aircraft/Operators (choose)== -->
 ==Specifications==
+{{Aircraft specs
-{{aerospecs
+|prime units? = met
-|ref=
+|crew=2
-|met or eng?=<!-- eng for US/UK aircraft, met for all others. You MUST include one or the other here, or no specifications will show -->met
-|crew=one
-|capacity=one passenger
 |length m=8.1
 |length ft=26
@@ Line 44: / Line 46: @@
 |span ft=57
 |span in=5
-|swept m=<!-- swing-wings -->
-|swept ft=<!-- swing-wings -->
-|swept in=<!-- swing-wings -->
-|rot number=<!-- helicopters -->
-|rot dia m=<!-- helicopters -->
-|rot dia ft=<!-- helicopters -->
-|rot dia in=<!-- helicopters -->
-|dia m=<!-- airships etc -->
-|dia ft=<!-- airships etc -->
-|dia in=<!-- airships etc -->
-|width m=<!-- if applicable -->
-|width ft=<!-- if applicable -->
-|width in=<!-- if applicable -->
 |height m=1.60
 |height ft=5
 |height in=3
-|wing area sqm=17.9
+|wing area sqm=17.8
-|wing area sqft=193
+|wing area sqft=191.6
-|swept area sqm=<!-- swing-wings -->
-|swept area sqft=<!-- swing-wings -->
-|rot area sqm=<!-- helicopters -->
-|rot area sqft=<!-- helicopters -->
-|volume m3=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
-|volume ft3=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
 |aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->17.1
 |empty weight kg=390
 |empty weight lb=860
-|gross weight kg=610
+|gross weight kg=650
-|gross weight lb=1,345
+|gross weight lb=1,435
-|lift kg=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
-|lift lb=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
-|eng1 number=
-|eng1 type=
-|eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines -->
-|eng1 hp=<!-- prop engines -->
-|eng1 kn=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
-|eng1 lbf=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
-|eng1 kn-ab=<!-- afterburners -->
-|eng1 lbf-ab=<!-- afterburners -->
-|eng2 number=
-|eng2 type=
-|eng2 kw=<!-- prop engines -->
-|eng2 hp=<!-- prop engines -->
-|eng2 kn=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
-|eng2 lbf=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
-|eng2 kn-ab=<!-- afterburners -->
-|eng2 lbf-ab=<!-- afterburners -->
 |max speed kmh=250
 |max speed mph=160
-|max speed mach=<!-- supersonic aircraft -->
+|max speed kts=135
-|cruise speed kmh=<!-- if max speed unknown -->
-|cruise speed mph=<!-- if max speed unknown -->
-|range km=
-|range miles=
-|endurance h=<!-- if range unknown -->
-|endurance min=<!-- if range unknown -->
-|ceiling m=
-|ceiling ft=
 |glide ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->38
-|climb rate ms=
-|climb rate ftmin=
 |sink rate ms=<!-- sailplanes -->0.6
 |sink rate ftmin=<!-- sailplanes -->120
-|armament1=
-|armament2=
-|armament3=
-|armament4=
-|armament5=
-|armament6=
 }}
@@ Line 121: / Line 68: @@
 {{aircontent
 <!-- include as many lines are appropriate. additional lines/entries with carriage return. -->
-|see also=* [[Grob G103a Twin II]]
+|see also=
+* [[Grob G103|Grob G103 family]]
+* [[Grob G103a Twin II]]
+* [[Grob G103c Twin III]]
 |related=<!-- related developments -->
 |similar aircraft=<!-- similar or comparable aircraft -->
@@ Line 128: / Line 78: @@
 ==References==
+{{reflist}}
-{{commonscat|G 103 Twin Astir}}
 * {{cite book |last= Taylor |first= Michael J. H. |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |pages=441 }}
 * {{cite book |last= Hardy |first= Michael |title=Gliders and Sailplanes of the World |year=1982 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton |pages=49 }}
@@ Line 134: / Line 84: @@
 ==External links==
+{{commons category|Grob G 103 Twin Astir}}
 *[http://www.grob-aircraft.com/ Homepage of Grob Aircraft AG]
 {{Grob aircraft}}
+{{Italian military aircraft}}
-{{aviation lists}}
-[[Category:German sailplanes 1970–1979]]
+[[Category:1970s German sailplanes]]
-[[Category:Glider aircraft]]
 [[Category:Grob aircraft]]
+[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1976]]
+[[Category:T-tail aircraft]]

v t e Italian Armed Forces aircraft designation system, 2009–present
1–100	Q-1 G-2 H-3D/H-3F G-4 Q-7 AV-8 Q-9 Q-10 A-11 TA-11 Q-11 Q-12 F-16 G-17 G-21 Q-24 Q-25 Q-26 C-27 Q-27 F-35 C-42/P-42 H-47 C-50 P-72 H-90
101–200	H-101 G-103 H-109 H-129 C-130 H-139 U-166 H-169 C-180 A-200
201–400	H-205 H-206 U-208 H-212 C-222 C-228 H-249 T-260 C-319 T-339 T-345 T-346
401–2006	H-412 H-500 E-550 KC-707 KC-767A KC-767B C-900 P-1150 F-2000 T-2006

Latest revision as of 01:48, 9 May 2024

Operators

Specifications

See also

References

External links