Nimbus-4 T

Schempp-Hirth · Germany · first flew 1995 · light aircraft

The Schempp-Hirth Nimbus-4 T is the self-launching variant of the Nimbus-4 open-class sailplane, fitted with a retractable piston engine allowing independent takeoff and landing without a towplane.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	9 m fuselage
T — Tail	T-tail

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Open-class self-launching sailplane with retractable piston engine
Extreme aspect-ratio wing with winglets, 26.5 m span
T-tail, retractable engine mast behind cockpit, tandem two-seat cockpit

The extreme span and near-parallel chord of the outer wing panels are the primary cue — no production aircraft comes close to this aspect ratio at this scale. The deployable engine mast and T-tail distinguish the T variant from the pure glider.

Specifications

The Nimbus-4 T has a length of 9 m (30 ft).
It has a wingspan of 26.5 m (87 ft).
Its maximum speed is 280 km/h (174 mph).
Typical crew: 1-2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The Nimbus-4 series from Schempp-Hirth represents the pinnacle of open-class glider design, with a 26.5 m wingspan and extraordinary glide performance. The 'T' (Turbo) variant adds a retractable Rotax engine on a deployable mast behind the cockpit. It entered production in the mid-1990s alongside the pure-glider Nimbus-4D, targeting pilots who want world-class cross-country performance without logistical dependency on towing aircraft.

Variants

Nimbus-4 (pure glider); Nimbus-4D (two-seat pure glider); Nimbus-4 T (self-launching single); Nimbus-4 DT (self-launching two-seat).

Where you'll see it

Competition and touring use worldwide by private owners. World records held across multiple speed triangles.

Related aircraft

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