Orličan VT-16 Orlík

Orličan · Czechoslovakia · first flew 1959 · glider

The Orličan VT-16 Orlík is a single-seat club glider, designed by Jiří Matějček and used by Czech gliding clubs.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsHigh-mounted, tapered
E — Engines1 × none, embedded-mounted
F — FuselageFixed semi-recessed monowheel ahead of the wing leading edge, with an all-moving tailplane on top of the fuselage
T — TailConventional

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

Spot it by:

A high-wing all-wood monoplane with a straight-tapered wing, a single-seat canopy ahead of the wing and a fixed semi-recessed monowheel. The all-moving tailplane sits on top of the fuselage ahead of a small fin.

Specifications

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

History

It first flew in August 1959 as a Standard Class glider with a 15 m span. Later aircraft had 16 m and 18 m spans, and the 16 m version went into series production.

Variants

The VT-16 Orlík had about 25 built. The VT-116 Orlík II followed, with more than 50 built.

Where you'll see it

Twenty-five VT-16 Orlíks went to Czech gliding clubs in the first series production run. The type set several Czech national gliding records during 1962.

Related aircraft

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