Schleicher AS-33Es
The AS 33 is Alexander Schleicher's newest single-seat competition sailplane, its prototype making its maiden flight on 23 January 2020. Unlike most gliders built for a single FAI class, its wing was designed from the outset to fly in either the 18-metre or 15-metre class: a second, shorter pair of outer wing panels can be fitted in place of the standard 18-metre tips. Independently switchable electrical valves control water ballast in both inner and outer wing tanks, while upward-extending three-tier airbrakes and a retractable, disc-braked main wheel round out a design built purely to win competitions rather than to train pilots.
Did you know?
Built to fly two FAI classes: swap the AS 33's outer wing panels between 18-metre and 15-metre tips and it competes in either.
Specifications
| Wingspan | 18 m (59 ft) |
|---|---|
| Persons on board | 1 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 0.6 t |
| Stall speed | 47 kt (87 km/h) |
| Rate of climb | 708 ft/min (3.6 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 Schleicher AS-33Es 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 Schleicher, the AS-33Es 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.