Schleicher K 7
| K7 Rhönadler | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Role | Glider |
| National origin | West Germany |
| Manufacturer | Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co |
| Designer | Rudolf Kaiser |
| Introduction | 1960 |
| Status | Production completed |
| Number built | 550 |
| Developed from | Schleicher Ka-2 |
| Variants | Schleicher ASK 13 |
The Schleicher K7 Rhönadler, aka Ka-7 or K-7, is a West German high-wing, two-seat, glider that was designed by Rudolf Kaiser and produced by Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co.
Often referred to as the Ka-7 or K-7, the US Federal Aviation Administration type certificate officially designates it as the K7.
The K7 was intended as a two-place trainer with good performance, a rare combination in trainers of its time.
The K7 is constructed with a welded steel tube fuselage, covered in doped aircraft fabric covering. The wing is a wooden structure with a doped fabric covering and employs a Goettingen 533 (16%) airfoil at the wing root, transitioning to a Goettingen 533 (14%) section at the wing tip. The wing features powerful dive brakes. The landing gear is a fixed monowheel. The earlier Ka-2 variant has a plywood monocoque fuselage.
After 550 had been built, the K7 was superseded in production by the Schleicher ASK 13.
The K7 can be converted into a K7/13 with a conversion kit to lower the wing to the mid-wing position and installation of a one-piece canopy, rendering the aircraft similar to the ASK-13.
A K7 was flown to a new world multi-place glider speed record for flight around a 500 km (311 mi) triangle of 84 km/h (52 mph) in 1964 in South Africa.
Data from Sailplane Directory, Soaring and FAA Type Certificate 7g3, The World's Sailplanes:Die Segelflugzeuge der Welt:Les Planeurs du Monde
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