Scheibe SF-23 Sperling
# Scheibe SF-23 Sperling

The Scheibe SF-23 Sperling (en:Sparrow) is a 1950s German two-seat cabin monoplane.

## Development

The Sperling was the first design of powered aircraft to come from the Scheibe Flugzeugbau company which had started building gliders in 1951. The prototype first flew on 8 August 1955 and the initial production SF-23A aircraft first flew in September 1958.

The Sperling is a high-wing braced monoplane with side-by-side seating for two in an enclosed cabin. It had a fixed tailwheel landing gear and was initially powered by a 95 hp (71 kW) Continental C90 piston engine. The Sperling utilizes mixed construction, the fuselage being a fabric-covered steel-tube structure and the wings being single-spar wooden structures with fabric and plywood covering. Production of the Sperling was completed in 1963.

## Operation

Most aircraft produced were sold to German private pilots and flying clubs but one was purchased by a British owner. The higher powered versions were suitable for use in glider-towing. By 2009, seven examples remained in active operation in Germany.

## Variants

### SF-23A

    Production variant with a 95 hp (71 kW) Continental C90-12F engine, 17 built.

### SF-23B

    Production variant with a 100 hp (75 kW) Continental O-200-B engine, four built.

### SF-23C

    Production variant with a 115 hp (86 kW) Lycoming O-235 engine, six built.

## Specifications (SF-23A)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1961–62

General characteristics

* Crew: 2
* Length: 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in)
* Wingspan: 9.87 m (32 ft 5 in)
* Height: 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in)
* Wing area: 12.16 $m^2$ (130.9 sq ft)
* Aspect ratio: 8:1
* Airfoil: NACA 23012
* Empty weight: 460 kg (1,014 lb)
* Gross weight: 730 kg (1,609 lb)
* Fuel capacity: 78 L (21 US gal; 17 imp gal)
* Powerplant: 1 × Continental C90-12F flat-four piston engine, 71 kW (95 hp)

Performance

* Maximum speed: 200 km/h (120 mph, 110 kn)
* Cruise speed: 160 km/h (99 mph, 86 kn) (60% power)
* Never exceed speed: 250 km/h (160 mph, 130 kn)
* Range: 640 km (400 mi, 350 nmi)
* Endurance: 4 hr
* Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,000 ft)
* Rate of climb: 3.5 m/s (690 ft/min)
