Design and Development
The Taifun is an all glass-fibre low-wing cantilever monoplane with a T-tail and side-by-side seating for two occupants. It has a manually operated retractable tricycle landing gear. The Taifun is powered originally by a 80hp (60 kW) Limbach L2000EB (Volkswagen) engine with later production aircraft being fitted with 90hp (67 kW) Limbach L2400EB engine. The wings fold back along the fuselage sides for transportation and storage. The prototype, registered D-KONO, first flew on the 28 February 1981. The main production aircraft had a 17 metre wingspan and was designated the Taifun 17E. Two examples of aircraft with a 12 metre wingspan were built as the Taifun 12E which were classed as light-aircraft rather than a motor glider. An improved four-seat Taifun 11S was studied with a 115hp (86 kW) Lycoming O-235 engine and fixed landing gear but the design was abandoned.
Read more about this topic: Valentin Taifun
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