Lange E-1 Antares 20E
The Lange Antares 20E is a high-performance, self-launching sailplane built in Germany, notable as the first series-production glider offered with an electric rather than a piston engine for takeoff and climb-out. Its retractable electric motor and folding propeller, developed with support from EADS, let a pilot launch, climb to soaring altitude, and stow the powerplant entirely inside the fuselage, without the fuel handling, noise, or vibration of a conventional self-launch engine. First flown in 2003, it demonstrated electric propulsion in a demanding, weight-sensitive application years before electric power became a mainstream topic in aviation, and its 20-metre wingspan places it among the larger open-class competition sailplanes.
.jpg){kind=link}
Did you know?
The Antares 20E was the first series-production glider with an electric self-launch motor that stows entirely inside the fuselage.
Specifications
| Length | 7.4 m (24 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 20 m (66 ft) |
| Height | 1.6 m (5 ft) |
| Persons on board | 1 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 0.7 t |
| Rate of climb | 800 ft/min (4.1 m/s) |
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.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Lange E-1 Antares 20E starts as a Rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Lange, the E-1 Antares 20E family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
Browse all aircraft types, or learn to tell Airbus from Boeing.