ASH 26
ASH 26 E
Role	18 metre Class sailplane Type of aircraft
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Schleicher
Designer	Martin Heide
First flight	1993
Number built	258 (ASH 26 E, as of June 2018)[1]
Developed into	ASH 31

The ASH 26 is an 18 metre Class glider, built of modern fibre reinforced composites. It first flew in 1993. It is manufactured by Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. The 'H' indicates this is a design of Martin Heide.

The ASH 26 has plain flaps, a retractable undercarriage and a water ballast system. The structure is a complex composite of carbon, aramid and polyethylene fibre reinforced plastic. The wings have pneumatic turbulators. Of the ASH 26s sold, over 90% are the self-launching version, the ASH 26 E;^[2] the engine being a liquid cooled Diamond (now Austro Engine) AE50R Wankel rotary engine.

Variants

ASH 26

Production variant with 18-metre wingspan.

ASH 26 E

Production variant, self launching utilising the 37 kW (50 hp) AE50R engine.

Specifications (ASH 26 E)

Data from Jane's all the world's aircraft, 1992–93,^[3] Schleicher ASH 26 E / ASH 26 brochure^[4]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 110 kg (240 lb) water ballast
• Length: 7.55 m (24 ft 9 in)
• Wingspan: 18 m (59 ft 1 in)
• Height: 1.51 m (4 ft 11 in)
• Wing area: 11.68 m² (125.7 sq ft)
• Aspect ratio: 27.69
• Airfoil: DU 89-134/14^[2]
• Empty weight: 325 kg (717 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 525 kg (1,157 lb)
• Fuel capacity: maximum: 46 L (12 US gal; 10 imp gal) ; fuselage tank only: 16 L (4.2 US gal; 3.5 imp gal)
• Powerplant: 1 × Austro Engine AE50R liquid-cooled Wankel rotary engine, 37 kW (50 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed Alexander Schleicher, 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in) diameter

Performance

• Stall speed: 71 km/h (44 mph, 38 kn)
• Never exceed speed: 280 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn)
• Maximum glide ratio: 50:1 at 115 km/h (71 mph; 62 kn)
• Rate of climb: 4 m/s (790 ft/min) powered
• Rate of sink: 0.48 m/s (94 ft/min) and 1.75 m/s (5.7 ft/s) at 200 km/h (120 mph; 110 kn)
• Wing loading: 45 kg/m² (9.2 lb/sq ft)