Jodel D-140 Abeille
Designed by Jean Delemontez and Lucien Querey as a four/five-seat touring derivative of the earlier Jodel D.117, the D.140 Mousquetaire first flew on 4 July 1958 and was built by Société Aéronautique Normande at Bernay. The D.140R Abeille, French for 'bee', was the final glider-tug variant, strengthened and adapted to tow sailplanes rather than simply carry passengers, and it was ordered by the French Air Force alongside the civilian D.140E. Around 243 factory-built examples were produced, plus more than 20 built from plans by amateurs, and many Abeilles still tow gliders at French flying clubs today.
Did you know?
A French wooden tourer most often seen today as the Abeille, a strengthened sailplane tug still flying at French clubs.
Specifications
| Length | 7.9 m (26 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 10.2 m (33 ft) |
| Height | 2.1 m (7 ft) |
| Persons on board | 5 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 1.2 t |
| Range | 750 NM (1,389 km) |
| Service ceiling | 16,000 ft (4,877 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 10,000 ft (3,048 m) |
| Rate of climb | 710 ft/min (3.6 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 520 m (1,706 ft) |
| Landing distance | 400 m (1,312 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 260 l |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
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