Slingsby King Kite

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Slingsby T.9 King Kite
Role Glider
National origin England
Manufacturer Slingsby
Designer Mungo Buxton, John Sproule, Fred Slingsby and Peter Shaw
First flight 17 April 1937
Number built 3 + 1 replica

The Slingsby T.9 King Kite is a British glider designed and built by Slingsby that first flew in 1937.

Design and development

ISTUS (international commission for the study of motorless flight) launched a campaign for gliding's inclusion in the Olympic games, organising an international competition, planned for 4–17 July 1937 for aspiring national teams. The British Gliding Association (BGA) were in a quandary as the only suitable aircraft was the Buxton Hjordis. To replace it Mungo Buxton had started the design of the Hjordis 2 but due to his commitments as a serving RAF officer Buxton handed over the design to Slingsby, Sproule and Shaw to complete the aircraft. Buxton had studied the latest soaring techniques and came to the conclusion that competitive aircraft would need to fly efficiently at higher speeds and not sacrifice glide performance for climb performance.

The result of their efforts, the Slingsby Type 9 King Kite, emerged as a cantilevered

flaps
inboard of the gull joint and ailerons outboard.

Flight tests

The first King Kite made its maiden flight on 17 April 1937, with

spins easily, and more importantly, a reluctance to recover from spins. To alleviate the problem while a permanent solution was found the rudder was increased in size twice, initially in span and later in chord.[1]

Wasserkuppe 1937 International Competition

The three King Kites, Hjordis and the Falcon III were all shipped to Wasserkuppe in time for the 1937 international competition. The first launch for the British team ended in disaster when Willy Watt, in a King Kite, on his first ever bungee launch attempted to turn immediately after the bungee slipped off the hook, the King Kite spun into the ground disintegrating around the dazed Watt. John Nielan also had an episode with spinning, recovering at very low altitude and then continuing on a cross-country competition task. The reason for the King Kites handling problems was attributed to the inner wing being jigged improperly in the factory, so rectification on the three already built King Kites was impossible.

After Wasserkuppe

After their return from Wasserkuppe the two remaining King Kites flew very little before the out break of the

Second World War. Both aircraft were impressed by the RAF for use by ATC officers, one breaking up in flight during 1946 and the other transferred to the RAFGSA (Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association
) at Detling where it was scrapped in 1950, after glued joints were found to have failed.

Re-birth of the King Kite

In 1978 the blueprints were recovered from storage and a replica King Kite was built by David Jones using modern low drag wing profiles, with advice from Professor Wortmann at Akaflieg Stuttgart.

Specifications (Slingsby T.9 King Kite)

Data from Jane's World Sailplanes & Motor Gliders[2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 20 ft 7.9 in (6.297 m)
  • Wingspan: 50 ft 10 in (15.5 m)
  • Wing area: 166.8 sq ft (15.50 m2)
  • Aspect ratio: 18
  • Airfoil: root: NACA 23021; tip: NACA 43121
  • Empty weight: 429 lb (195 kg) 1
  • Gross weight: 620 lb (281 kg) 1

Performance

  • Maximum glide ratio: 25
  • Wing loading: 4.24 lb/sq ft (20.7 kg/m2)

References

  1. ^ Simons 1993, p. 51.
  2. ISBN 0-7106-0017-8
    .

External links
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