Grob G109
Grob · Germany · first flew 1980 · light aircraft
Grob's all-glassfibre touring motor glider of 1980, best known in Britain as the RAF's Vigilant air-cadet trainer.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.1 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Sleek glassfibre motor glider with a nose engine and long tapered wings
- Side-by-side cockpit under a large forward-hinged canopy
- T-tail — unlike the conventional-tailed Falke it resembles
Think 'glassfibre Falke': side-by-side canopy, nose propeller and long tapered wings, but smoother, with a T-tail and neatly faired monowheel-plus-outriggers or twin-wheel gear. The Falke is boxier with a low tailplane; the Stemme S10 is far larger-spanned with a hidden engine.
Specifications
- The Grob G109 has a length of 8.1 m (27 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 17.4 m (57 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 240 km/h (149 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 side-by-side.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Grob flew the G109 in 1980 as a modern composite successor to fabric-covered types like the Falke, pairing a glassfibre airframe with a nose-mounted engine and folding wings. The improved G109B of 1984, with a 95 hp Grob engine and 17.4-metre span, became the definitive version.
Variants
The original G109 was followed by the more powerful G109B; the RAF operated 53 as the Vigilant T1 for Volunteer Gliding Squadrons. Some airframes have since been re-engined and civilianised after military retirement.
Where you'll see it
Generations of UK air cadets made their first flights in Vigilants at Volunteer Gliding Squadrons until the fleet retired in the late 2010s, and many now fly on with private owners and motor-glider groups at British airfields. Civil G109s are common tourers and self-launching soarers at gliding clubs.
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