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Glaser Dirks DG-500 series The DG-500 comes in a number of sizes which all share the same basic fuselage. The DG-500 - later DG-505 - is a twin seat midwing 'T' tail glider built using GRP \ CFRP construction and produced by DG Flugzeugbau GmbH in Bruchsal. The front cockpit design has been purposely made similar to that of the DG-300 Club. The 18 m version is also fully aerobatic and stressed to +7 g and -5 g.
The DG-500T 18m Trainer, which first flew in 1989 has an unflapped 18 m. wing without provision for water ballast and having a retractable gear is an option, but fitted on all other models. The DG-500/22, in common with all the 22m models, has a four piece wing which are equiped with curving flapsl which extends the aileron (and thus the flaps) over the full span of the wings requiring smaller aileron deflections. This behavior is a bit strange when you just start to fly DG-500. In addition, the DG-500/22 can take up to 160 kg of additional ballast water.
There is also a self launching variant known as the DG 500M with the 22m wing. It has a liquid cooled Rotax powerplant on an electrically retracting pylon, digital engine instrumentation (DEI) and water ballast reduced to 100 kg. 220 lb. And comes with an optional steerable nosewheel. The DEI, which has instrumentation in both cockpits, shows rpm, temperatures, pressures and fuel quantity as well as controlling the amount of fuel injected by the electronic fuel system. Engine retraction is automatic once the propeller has been stopped and centered Since 2004, the DG-500 became to be known as the "DG-505 Orion" and was manufactured by AMS in Slovenia.
The DG-500MB is a development of the DG-500M self-launching glider, with the original Rotax two-stroke engine replaced by a more powerful (64 hp) version of the Solo engine installation as developed for the DG-800. The wing is in four sections and is available in either 22 meter span form or 20 meter span with winglets similar to the DG-500/20 Elan, the latter for competition work. A flapped unpowered development of the DG- 500/22 Elan is known as the DG-500/20 Elan and has been designed for the German 20 m. two-place contest class.
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