Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-7 Nimbus
Akaflieg Braunschweig · Germany · first flew 1962 · glider
The Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-7 Nimbus was a Standard class competition glider designed and built in West Germany in the 1960s. It was built from a mixture of glass fibre and wood.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Shoulder-mounted wings of 15 m span
- T-tail
- Long one-piece canopy and a retractable monowheel
A glass-fibre monocoque fuselage over balsa that tapers gently from wing to tail, with box-spar wings.
Specifications
- The Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-7 Nimbus has a length of 7 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15 m (49 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 254 km/h (158 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was a development of the SB-6 Nixope, with a shorter span of 15 m rather than 18 m and a T-tail. The wing used a 3.5 m rectangular centre panel to simplify construction. It first flew in October 1962.
Variants
The Eppler wing profile made the Nimbus a challenge to fly, which led to the SB-8 and to a series of modifications, including a Wortmann FX-61-163 profile, a 17 m span and revised tail and fuselage. Another SB-7 built in Switzerland had a 16.52 m wing.
Where you'll see it
About four were built. It performed very well.
Related aircraft
- Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-6 Nixope
- Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-5 Danzig
- Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-8
- Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-10 Schirokko
- Beagle B.218
- Bowers Fly Baby
- Cessna 206 Stationair
- Cessna 411
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.