The Ho XVI "Colibri"

Usage
 

Trainer
 

Fuselage Construction

Wood
 

Wing Construction
 

Wood
 

Capacity
 

Pilot
 

Span
 

12 m
 

Sweep Angle
 

26.6 degrees
 

Taper Ratio
 

4
 

Wing Root Thickness
 

18% chord
 

Wing Root Depth
 

1.2 m
 

Rib Spacing
 

0.4 m
 

Wing Area
 

9.0 m2
 

Aspect Ratio
 

16.0
 

Pilot position
 

Seated
 

Mid-section width
 

---
 

Cockpit width
 

0.6 m
 

Cockpit height (from seat)
 

1.1 m
 

Empty weight
 

80 kg
 

Ballast (water)
 

---
 

Additional payload
 

80 kg
 

Maximum weight
 

160 kg
 

Wing loading
 

17.8 kg/m2
 

Stall speed
 

55 km/h
 

Landing speed
 

55 km/h
 

Minimum Sink
 

0.65 m/sec at 70 km/h and 17.8 kg/m2 loading

Best Glide Ratio
 

30:1 at 77 km/h and 17.8 kg/m2 loading

Maximum Speed
 

200 km/h
 
I designed a small tailless sailplane for the Buenos Aires club "Condor" in 1950. To make it inexpensive and easy for me club members to build, the wooden ship was constructed in one piece. I wanted to make the aircraft attractive to both students and experienced pilots, therefore a light medium performance 12 meter design was laid out.

 Waldemar Sturm, the club's flight instructor, was in charge of the construction. He also test flew the "Colibri" in a straight auto tow across the Merlo airfield in 1952.

 The aircraft was next taken to the larger Juarez-Celman field near Cordoba for further testing. Heinz Scheidhauer was given the opportunity to make the first aerotow.

 Despite the 500 ft. long tow rope, he appeared to be caught in the propeller turbulence, and lost control. The Ho XVI touched the ground briefly, then shot up to about 50 feet, stalled and came down inverted. Miraculously, Scheidhauer appeared from the rubble with only minor bruises.

 The "Colibri" was never rebuilt, due to the many unanswered questions regarding its stability and controllability.