1. Design and development

2. Variants

3. Specifications (Straton D-8)

4. See also

5. References

6. External links

The ProFe D-8 Moby Dick is a family of Czech pusher configuration, parasol wing, strut-braced, V-tailed, motor gliders that was designed and produced by ProFe. The aircraft is named for the great white whale of Herman Melville's novel of the same name and was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.^[1]

Design and development

The first glider in the series was the single seat Mini Straton D-7, which was designed in 1988 and first shown in the United States at AirVenture in 1992. This was followed by the improved single seat Straton D-8 and the D-8 Moby Dick two seater. All aircraft in the series share the same unusual configuration.^[1]

The aircraft are built around a predominantly aluminium frame, with use of fibreglass and aircraft fabric covering. The Moby Dick model also incorporates wood in the structure. The fuselage is of conventional sailplane type in appearance, but the semi-tapered wing is suspended above the fuselage on cabane struts, supported by lift struts, with the pusher engine mounted at the rear of the wing. The Straton D-8 has a monowheel landing gear, while the Moby Dick has two closely spaced, fuselage-mounted wheels. All models have optional outrigger wing tip wheels.^[1]

Variants

Mini Straton D-7

Single seat original model^[1]

Straton D-8

Improved single seat model with a {{convert|12|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} wingspan. developed for the American market. It incorporates many improvements in both construction and performance and can be powered with Trabant or Rotax engines. There were 118 reported flying in 1998.^[1]

D-8 Moby Dick

Two seat development of the Straton D-8, with a {{convert|13|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} wingspan, {{convert|14.00|m2|sqft|abbr=on}} wing area, empty weight {{convert|414|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}, gross weight {{convert|851|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}, stressed to +4/-2 g. Standard engine is the {{convert|40|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Rotax 447 two stroke aircraft engine. It was reported that 37 were flying in 1998.^[1]

Specifications (Straton D-8)

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|crew=one
|capacity=
|length m=
|length ft=20
|length in=
|length note=
|span m=12
|span ft=
|span in=
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=111
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=250
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=470
|gross weight note=
|fuel capacity={{convert|19|l}}
|more general=

|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Trabant
|eng1 type=
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=24
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=wooden
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop note=

|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=80
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=60
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=18
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=240
|range nmi=
|range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=14400
|ceiling note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|glide ratio=18:1
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=550
|climb rate note=
|sink rate ms=
|sink rate ftmin=
|sink rate note=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=4.23
|wing loading note=
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}

See also

• List of gliders

References

External links

• {{Official website|http://www.profe.cz/home.html}}
• Photo of a D-8 Moby Dick
• Photo of Straton D-8

• The Angolite
• The Angry Guest
• The Angry Hills (film)
• The Angry Inch
• The Angry Nintendo Nerd
• The Angry Sun
• The Angry Video Game Nerd (Show)
• The Angry Video Game Nerd (show)
• The Angus burger
• The Angus burger (Burger King)
• The Animal-Cracker Plot
• The animal crackers (musical group)
• The Animal (Disturbed song)
• The Animal Family
• The Animal In Me
• The Animal Kingdom
• The Animal Kingdom (1932 film)
• The Animal Kingdom (play)
• The Animal Medical Center of New York
• The Animal Protection Party
• The Animals (British album)
• The Animals' Christmas
• The animals discography
• The Animals Film
• The animals go in two by two