Slingsby T.53
Slingsby Sailplanes · United Kingdom · first flew 1967 · glider
The Slingsby T.53 was the first all-metal sailplane designed and built in the United Kingdom.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.62 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Shoulder-mounted wing swept forwards by 5 degrees
- Tandem two-seat cockpit with the rear occupant forward of the wing leading edge
- High-mounted stabiliser
A light alloy flush-riveted design.
Specifications
- The Slingsby T.53 has a length of 7.62 m (25 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 17 m (56 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 228 km/h (142 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The RAF asked in the early 1960s for a tandem two-seat replacement for the wooden gliders of the Air Training Corps. The prototype first flew on 9 March 1967 at Wombleton.
Variants
The T.53A had flaps on the wings, and the T.53B Phoenix had fixed tandem wheels and a flapless forward-swept wing of constant chord. The design was later built as the Yorkshire Sailplanes YS-53 Sovereign.
Where you'll see it
The RAF ordered 40 but cancelled the order after evaluation and after a fire destroyed the Slingsby factory in November 1968. Twenty-one gliders were built.
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