Slingsby Capstan

The Slingsby T.49 Capstan is a British two-seat glider of the 1960s built by Slingsby Sailplanes as a replacement for their earlier Type 42 Eagle.

T.49 Capstan
Slingsby T.49 Capstan in 1966
Role	Sailplane
National origin	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	Slingsby Sailplanes Ltd
First flight	1961
Number built	34

Design and development

The Capstan is a high-winged monoplane of wooden construction, the last two-seat wooden glider built by Slingsby,^[1] intended for both training and general club flying. Side-by-side seats for the two pilots are accommodated in an enclosed cockpit with a one-piece perspex canopy. The prototype T.49A first flew in 1961, and it entered production as the T.49B in 1963.^[2] Thirty-four Capstans were built,^[1] one of which was fitted with an auxiliary engine with the designation T.49C Powered Capstan.

Specifications

Capstan BUR/BGA1248 at the Vintage Glider Rally, Camphill, 2011

Capstan T49 Polar Curve, from manufacturer's Handbook

Data from The World's Sailplanes:Die Segelflugzeuge der Welt:Les Planeurs du Monde Volume II^[3] and Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1969 ^[2]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 25 ft 4 in (7.72 m)
• Wingspan: 55 ft 1 in (16.78 m)
• Wing area: 219.9 sq ft (20.43 m²)
• Aspect ratio: 13.75
• Airfoil: Root:NACA 63₃-620, Tip: NACA 6412
• Empty weight: 761 lb (345.4 kg)
• Gross weight: 1,250 lb (567 kg)

Performance

• Stall speed: 37 mph (60 km/h, 32 kn)
• Never exceed speed: 135 mph (217 km/h, 117 kn)
  
• Rough air speed max: 92 mph (148 km/h; 80 kn)
• Aerotow speed: 92 mph (148 km/h; 80 kn)
• Winch launch speed: 92 mph (148 km/h; 80 kn)
• g limits: +4, 0
• Maximum glide ratio: 30:1 at 47 mph (76 km/h; 41 kn)
• Rate of sink: 130 ft/min (0.66 m/s) at 43 mph (70 km/h; 38 kn)
• Wing loading: 5.7 lb/sq ft (27.7 kg/m²)

See also

• List of gliders