Slingsby T21 - British WW2 Glider still used today!
Posted by Ok-Ostrich-2493@reddit | WeirdWings | View on Reddit | 11 comments
The Slingsby T21 is a british glider that was introduced in 1944, used by the RAF for training purposes. I know a club in the netherlands that still uses it, and it's quite fun to fly! It looks weird when launched on a whinch, and the slow speed makes it look like a ship in the sky.
xerberos@reddit
I flew one a few years ago. When you're thermalling at 55 km/h, there is very little wind noise and you can easily talk to each other. It's a very different kind of soaring.
Dangerous-Salad-bowl@reddit
Once on a warm summer’s day over Cambridgeshire, it was glorious!
Thermodynamicist@reddit
AKA The Barge.
It doesn't penetrate very well, but it has a respectable minimum sink rate so it's not bad at staying up provided that there's not too much wind.
The open cockpit turns your face into an instrument capable of detecting slip, skid, airspeed, and temperature.
It's definitely an experience I recommend because it provides a very different perspective on flying.
pdf27@reddit
I've flown one (Bluebell), and even seen it arriving after a 73km cross-country from Gransden Lodge to Husbands Bosworth which was something of an epic.
Ok-Ostrich-2493@reddit (OP)
73km is impressive. On our winch, it gets to about 600m in good conditions, then does maybe like 30min flights max.
pdf27@reddit
If I remember correctly, the pilots were one guy who had recently come second in standard class at the WGC and one who would go on to win the 18m class in a couple of years.
Ok-Palpitation-5380@reddit
Former air cadet here. I flew in one around ‘84. The wind in your face is quite exhilarating. People saying big and slow. The last kid up was treated to a loop. It didn’t look that slow in execution 😅
LightningGeek@reddit
I flew one back when I flew gliders at the Midland Gliding Club. Such a strange experience to other gliders due to the slow speed and open cockpit. Was a very nice way to fly.
You can even do aerobatics in them, but I don't think any of the MGC guys were willing to push theirs that far!
helno@reddit
There is a privately owned one at my club. It is hilariously slow and quite big.
breakermorant1963@reddit
The first thing I ever flew in! Bungee launch as well!
Zcube73@reddit
I did the same thing back in 1987 as an air cadet..we went to RAF Little Rissington to fly in the Viking, a poweredglider..wonderful memories 🥰