Bertoni Altinger AB-1 Superalbatros
Club Argentino de Planeadores Albatros · Argentina · first flew 1969 · glider
The Bertoni Altinger AB-1 Superalbatros is a high-performance sailplane designed and built in Argentina in the 1950s and 1960s.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Wings swept forward by 6 degrees, sitting on the shoulders of the centre fuselage |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Wings swept forward by 6 degrees, sitting on the shoulders of the centre fuselage
- High fineness ratio fuselage ending in an integral fin carrying the rudder and a T-tail with split elevators
- Pilot in a sharply reclined seat under a full-length canopy, with a single mainwheel
The wings were built from plywood shaped around balsa ribs and foam cores, and the fuselage was a balsa and glass-fibre sandwich over wooden frames. The full-span flaps and ailerons were modified to deflect to 90 degrees for approach control.
Specifications
- The Bertoni Altinger AB-1 Superalbatros has a length of 6.4 m (21 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15 m (49 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 200 km/h (124 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The design was conceived in 1954 by a group at the Club Argentino de Planeadores Albatros and was redesigned over the next 15 years. Teodoro Altinger joined in 1956 to adopt the laminar-flow wing sections and foam and plywood construction of Akaflieg Darmstadt, and Jorge Bertoni redesigned the fuselage after 1960.
Variants
Only one was built, in its final form as a 15 m flapped sailplane.
Where you'll see it
Flight testing began on 6 May 1969 and showed good performance and handling, but the fuselage-mounted airbrakes caused an accident during a landing. It flew with qualified success in Argentine national competitions in the 1970s, was soon outclassed, and was retired to the San Andres de Giles gliding club.
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