Photograph:
Hoffman H-36 Dimona VH-GXG (c/n 36414) at Camden, NSW in August 2009 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
Germany
Description:
Two-seat self-launched motor glider
Power Plant:
One 60 kw (80 hp) Limbach L 2000 EB1C four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 16 m (52 ft 6 in)
- Length: 6.85 m (22 ft 5¾ in)
- Height: 1.625 m (5 ft 4 in)
- Wing area: 15.2 m² (63.6 sq ft)
- Max cruising speed: 180 km/h (112 mph)
- Economical cruising speed: 176 km/h (109 mph)
- Stalling speed: 72 km/h (45 mph)
- Max rate of climb at sea level: 200 m/min (689 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 6,000 m (19,675 ft)
- Range with max fuel: 1,000 km (621 miles)
- Empty weight: 540 kg (1,190 lb)
- Loaded weight: 770 kg (1,697 lb)
History:
The Hoffman Dimona was a powered glider built by Wolf Hoffman Flugzeugbau KG at Ulm in Germany and at Weiner Nieustadt in Austria, the prototype of which flew for the first time on 9 October 1980. More than 300 examples have been delivered. Development led to the HK-36 Super Dimona with several modifications and an up-rated Limbach engine. In 1992 a light training aircraft variant was released, known as the DV-20 Katana based on the fuselage of the Super Dimona, with a tricycle undercarriage and the 60 kw (80 hp) four-cylinder Rotax 912 engine, being produced by HOAC in Europe and Diamond Aircraft in Canada.
The aircraft was a cantilever low/mid-wing monoplane constructed of GFRP, the wing being attached independently to the fuselage by bolts, thus permitting them to be folded alongside the fuselage for transportation and storage. A tricycle or non-retractable tailwheel type undercarriage was installed, and fuel capacity was 80 litres (17.5 Imp gals). The type became popular around the world, and a number have been registered in Australia, the first H-36 Dimona becoming VH-XOV (c/n 36-211).
Examples have been obtained by gliding clubs, and some have been privately owned. Examples included VH-NHB (c/n 3539), VH-GEO (c/n 3513), VH-GJD (c/n 3645), VH-GNW (c/n 3534), VH-GOE (c/n 3535), VH-GVQ (c/n 3538), VH-GXD (c/n 36591), this aircraft being a HK-36TC Super Dimona, VH-GXG (c/n 36414), VH-GYT (c/n 3512), VH-JLL (c/n 36712), VH-YVW (c/n 3507), VH-XOO (c/n 36263), VH-XOV (c/n 36211), VH-ZDD (c/n 3673), and VH-WVW (c/n 2507).
One variant of the series was the HK-36TC Super Dimona. First of this model was built for a Swiss Company, Metair, which was followed by six for an American company, these being used for aerial photography and video relay of major sporting activities. However, due to the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the latter aircraft were offered for sale. Two were imported for operation by Airborne Research Australia at Flinders University, SA. They had underwing pods to house a variety of cameras, scanners and thermal imaging equipment, the fuel tanks being installed in the wing in lieu of the fuselage, this enabling data collection equipment to be installed in the fuselage behind the seats. To operate this equipment, a 28 volt electrical system was installed. The first of these became VH-OBS² (c/n 36642 – ex N843WS, C-GSTD), and the second VH-EOS4 (c/n 3644 – ex N846WS, C-GEPR).