New wing airfoils for Ventus 2

Ventus 2cM SE

The airfield Oppingen-Au saw the maiden flight of a technology demonstrator of LTB Sebald company on 4th October 2023. The sailplane is structurally based on Ventus 2CM, since the airframe and mainly its competition variants are considered still sound.

There are brand new PW-series airfoils applied, enabling now-standard laminar flow up to 95% chord on its lower side.  This means that the very sensitive boundary layer overcomes carefully contoured and sealed flaperon gap, instead being tripped by Noppen turbulator well ahead of the flap itself.

Besides calculated drag reduction compared to legacy DU-series, lift response was modified to enable better dynamic response in thermals by application of gradient change with angle of attack, known e.g., from sailplanes like ASG-32, HpH Twin Shark and Diana 2.

The first flights were carried out by Markus Scherdel, known as the Solar Impulse project chief pilot. Further certification flights are performed now. Benign stall characteristics and rapid aileron responsiveness are already confirmed.  

BS, LP