Slingsby T.21 Sedbergh
Slingsby · United Kingdom · first flew 1944 · glider
Britain's beloved open-cockpit vintage two-seat trainer of the 1940s — the 'Barge' in which thousands of air cadets first flew.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.16 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Unpowered sailplane — no engine
- Open cockpit with two pilots sitting side-by-side in the breeze
- Broad straight wooden high wing and slow, stately flight
Unmistakable: two heads side-by-side in an open cockpit, a broad strut-free straight wing perched above them, fabric-covered wood everywhere and a leisurely walking-pace circuit. No modern glider shares its slow, stately, wires-and-varnish character.
Specifications
- The Slingsby T.21 Sedbergh has a length of 8.16 m (27 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 16.5 m (54 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 169 km/h (105 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 side-by-side.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed at Slingsby's Kirbymoorside works, the T.21 prototype flew in 1944 and the production T.21B from 1947. With its side-by-side open cockpit and big constant-chord wing it became the standard RAF Air Training Corps and club trainer of the post-war decades.
Variants
The main production model was the T.21B, named Sedbergh TX.1 in RAF service; small numbers of the modified T.21C and various club rebuilds followed. The closely related single-seat T.30 Prefect and tandem T.31 Cadet shared its construction.
Where you'll see it
Retired from ATC service in the 1980s, Sedberghs are now cherished vintage gliders at UK clubs and Vintage Glider Club rallies, still giving open-cockpit air-experience flights on calm summer evenings. Examples appear at heritage events and airshows alongside other Slingsby classics.
Related aircraft
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