Valentin Taifun
Valentin Flugzeugbau · Germany · first flew 1981 · light aircraft
The Valentin Taifun is a two-seat self-launching sailplane designed and built by Valentin Flugzeugbau of Hassfurt, Germany. It has side-by-side seating.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Wings fold back along the fuselage sides for storage |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- All glass-fibre low-wing cantilever monoplane with a T-tail
- Manually operated retractable tricycle landing gear
- Wings fold back along the fuselage sides for storage
A glass-fibre low-wing motor glider with a long span, a T-tail and a nose-mounted engine. The wings fold back along the fuselage.
Specifications
- The Valentin Taifun has a length of 7.78 m (26 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 17 m (56 ft).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The prototype, registered D-KONO, first flew on 28 February 1981. It was powered by an 80 hp Limbach L2000EB, with later aircraft getting the 90 hp L2400EB.
Variants
The main production version was the 17 metre span Taifun 17E, with an improved 17E II later. Two 12 metre span Taifun 12E were built, and a four-seat Taifun 11S was abandoned.
Where you'll see it
An example is on display at the Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleissheim near Munich.
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