Wassmer WA-20 Javelot
Wassmer Aviation · France · first flew 1956 · glider
The Wassmer WA-20 Javelot was a single-seat competition glider produced by the French firm Wassmer, designed for standard-class club and national competition flying.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Long slender fuselage tapering to a pointed tail |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-seat high-performance glider with mid-mounted straight wing
- Long slender fuselage tapering to a pointed tail
- French club-racing proportions — shorter wingspan than Open-class sailplanes
A conventional single-seat competition glider of 1950s French design; the mid-mounted straight wing and slender fuselage are representative of the period. Distinguished from German contemporaries such as the Ka 6 by its French construction details and slightly different planform.
Specifications
- The Wassmer WA-20 Javelot has a length of 7.1 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15 m (49 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Wassmer of Issoire developed the Javelot series in the mid-1950s to provide French aero-clubs with a domestic competition sailplane. The WA-20 offered respectable performance for its era and was used extensively in French national gliding competitions throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Variants
The WA-20 was followed by the WA-21 Javelot II (1958) and WA-22 Super Javelot (1961), each featuring refinements in construction and performance. Together the Javelot family represented Wassmer's main competition sailplane line before the company moved toward powered aircraft.
Where you'll see it
The WA-20 served primarily with French aero-clubs and national competition teams. Examples were exported to a small number of European operators.
Related aircraft
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