Spalinger - The Last Survivor

Normal 0 21 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabela normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

The most active glide club in Brazil, the Aeroclube de Bauru, is 350 km from São Paulo. Officially recognized in April of 1939, the club is already part of the history of brazilian aviation.

When talking about gliding history in Brazil, it´s impossible not mentioning the name - Hendrick Kurt. He dedicated his life to glide, built many crafts, became president of the club and kept gliding as much as possible as his lifestyle. Since 1992, Mr. Kurt rests in the sky, his home, but the memories of this great swiss are pretty alive in the Aeroclube de Bauru.

Mr. Hendrich Kurt is responsible for the construction of what´s known to be the last survivor in activity of it´s specie, the Spalinger S-25.

Kurt built the S-25 in Bauru, back in 1953, today, the craft is in mint condition, as collectors like to say. Some repairs were done during the years, but the craft is Just perfect, thanks to Kurt and the Aeroclube de Bauru, who owns it. When we went to fly with the Spalinger, it was just 2 days after a complete check-list, all items were checked, small repairs done and the craft was ready to gain the skies, once again.

While this brave survivor got out of the hangar, we all knew history was there, alive. The Spalinger S-25 have the power to represent an era, there´s no way to deny. Like all rarities, this craft doesn´t flight too often, simply beacuse most people look for high tech and faster glides nowadays. It´s rare, but sometimes, the Spalinger goes out for a flight here and there, showing it´s imponent stylish wings.

The Spalinger flight was short, just around 50 minutes, but in history, we all know a minute can change the world, those 50 minutes flight were defintely a joy, the feeling of gliding this last survivor is acessible to everyone, just step in the Bauru´s Aeroclube, they Will be very proud to know someone appeared to glide their jewel. The Aeroclube de Bauru is served different glides, another interesting glide is the Laister-Kauffman LK-10, built in USA back in 1945, but this is another chapter of glide history.

 

Technical Information

 

Dimensions:

Wings scale: 17,70 m

Lenght: 8,40 m

Height: 1,45 m

 

Date of Built: 1953

Weight: 350 Kg

Weight capacity: 131 Kg

 

Speed limits:

- Calm air: VNE 120 Km / h (64MPH)

- Strong Air: VU 90 Km /h (48 MPH)

- Airplane “tug”: VR 90 Km/h (48 MPH)

- Brake opening: 90 Km/h (48MPH)

- estol speed: VS 65 Km/h (35MPH)

- Best planning speed: 92 Km/h (49 MPH)

- Best “sinking” speed: 70 Km/h (37 MPH)