Photograph:
Valentin Taifun VH-OZT (c/n 1134) at the Australian International Airshow at Avalon, VIC in 2011 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
Germany
Description:
Two-seat self-launched glider
Power Plant:
One 67 kw (90 hp) Limbach L-2400EB four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 17 m (55 ft 9 in)
- Length: 7.78 m (25 ft 7 in)
- Height: 2.48 m (8 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 17.6 m² (189 sq ft)
- Max speed: 245 km/h (152 mph)
- Rate of climb: 192 m/min (630 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,400 ft)
- Range: 1,250 km (777 miles)
- Empty weight: 600 kg (1,320 lb)
- Loaded weight: 820 kg (1,810 lb)
History:
The Taifun was a two-seat, self-launched glider designed and built by Valentin Flugzeugbau GmbH at Hasfurt in Germany, the prototype (D-KONO) flying for the first time on 28 February 1981. It was an all-fibreglass low-wing cantilever monoplane with a T-tail, seating two side-by-side. Early production aircraft were fitted with a 60 kw (80 hp) Limbach L-2000EB engine but later aircraft had a 67 kw (90 hp) variant of that engine.
Production aircraft had a 17 m (55 ft 9 in) wingspan and were designated the Taifun 17E. Two examples were built with a 12 m (39 ft 3 in) wing and, known as the Taifun 12E, were classed as a light aircraft rather than a motor glider. A variant known as the Taifun 11S was also developed, this being a four-seat model with an 86 kw (115 hp) Lycoming engine with a fixed undercarriage but this model was not proceeded with.
The Taifun 17E II was a development fitted with a Rotax 914 engine, hydraulically operated undercarriage, and Schempp-Hirth airbrakes. It is believed 150 examples of the Model 17E series were completed, and 58 examples of the Taifun II. Valentin Flugzugbeau eventually closed down and the Type Certificate was taken over by Korff in Germany, which further developed the type. Whereas early aircraft had folding wings and the undercarriage was retracted manually by a lever, the Taifun II had an electric pump to retract the undercarriage and the wings did not fold. Some examples have been fitted with Sauer engines and many have a Muhlbauer constant-speed propeller installed.
An example has been imported into Australia, being placed on display at the 2011 Australian International Airshow at Avalon, VIC becoming VH-OZT. This aircraft is a Taifun 17E 11 (c/n 1134) registered to John Callahan of Barwon Downs, VIC on 12 February 2009 and is fitted with a Limbach Flugmotoren L-2400 engine driving an MTV propeller.