Scheibe Falke

Development

The company had produced the Motor Spatz but decided to produce a better light aircraft based on the Bergfalke glider. It had a new forward fuselage with an enclosed cockpit with two side-by-side seats and originally a Hirth F10A2a engine in the nose. It first flew in May 1963 as the SF-25A Motor Falke. After an initial batch of aircraft the wing was lowered and it was renamed as just the SF-25B Falke. A number of variants were built with various engines and the type was licence built by Sportavia-Putzer, Aeronautica Umbra (Italy), Loravia (France) and Slingsby (United Kingdom). The current model is the SF 25C. It is currently available with a choice of three engines: the Rotax 912 80 hp, the Rotax 912S (100 hp) and the Rotax 914F3 (115 hp).

⋅==Variants==

SF-25A Motor Falke

First production batch with a Hirth F10A2a engine, 56 built.

SF-25B Falke

Improved variant with lower wing position and a 45hp Stark Stamo engine, 372 built.

SF-25C Falke

Same as a SF-25B but with an alternator and electric starter. Sub-variants include:

SF-25D Falke

SF-25B converted with a Limbach 1700A engine.

SF-25E Super Falke

A SF-25CS with extended wing, a narrow-chord vertical tail. air brakes and a raised bubble canopy, first flown in 1974.

SF-25K K-Falke

A SF-25C with folding wings and large canopy.

Slinsgby T61 Falke/Slingsby Venture

Licence built variant of the SF-25B, 76 built

Operators

 Oman

Royal Air Force of Oman

Specifications (Rotax Falke)

Data from

General characteristics

Crew: 2

Length: 7.60 m (24 ft 11 in)

Wingspan: 15.30 m (50 ft 2 in)

Height: 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) tailwheel undercarriage

Wing area: 18.20 m² (195.9 sq ft)

Aspect ratio: 13.8

Empty weight: 435 kg (959 lb)

Max takeoff weight: 650 kg (1,433 lb)

Fuel capacity: 55 L (14.5 UG gal, 12.0 Imp gal) standard

Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 912 A flat-4, air-cooled with water-cooled cylinder heads, 48 kW (65 hp)

Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

Maximum speed: 190 km/h (118 mph; 103 kn)

Cruise speed: 180 km/h (112 mph; 97 kn) maximum

Stall speed: 65 km/h (40 mph; 35 kn)

Range: 700 km (435 mi; 378 nmi)

Service ceiling: 4,580 m (15,030 ft) (more than)

Maximum glide ratio: 23-24

Rate of sink: 1.0 m/s (200 ft/min) minimum

Byron Bay gliding club (Australia) have re-engined using a Jabiru 2200. "We get a sound 500 ft/min climb rate measured with a logger and this aircraft will take an honest 190kg pay load with 1 hour of fuel"