Ka-8b Single Seater

1st of 2 Ka-8s we have.

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K8 in 2015. Photo by Stephen Kempf, Click to Enlarge

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Cameron in the K8 ready to solo. Photo by Stephen Kempf, Click to Enlarge

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Video of Cameron's first Ka-8 Solo by Stephen Kempf

8 on final
K8 on Final. Photo by Chris Ruf, Click to Enlarge

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Photo by Stephen Kempf, Click to Enlarge

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K8 in 2015. Photo by Stephen Kempf, Click to Enlarge

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Photo by Stephen Kempf, Click to Enlarge

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Photo by Stephen Kempf, Click to Enlarge

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Photo by Stephen Kempf, Click to Enlarge

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Photo by Stephen Kempf, Click to Enlarge


2006 Photo by Chris Ruf.


2006 Photo by Jeff DiNucci

2006 Photo by Jeff DiNucci


Photo by Chris Ruf.


1998 photos of Ka-8 show it in red before Allan Pargman refubished her in 2005. See more history like this on the K8 Old Paint page.
Photo by Chris Ruf.


click to enlarge

See some of the history of SES's Ka-8b on our Old Paint page. See also our 2nd Ka-8.

Flight Manual for Ka-8b & C from Alexander Schleicher GmbH


Unofficial Handbook - not all in English may still be useful.

K8 Disassembly & Trailer Instructions.pdf and .doc written for enclosed trailer holding K8 N221L but should have helpful hints for most K8s. October 2019 Mark replaced and rewired the lights for the K8 trailer and made sure all the pieces are there to put the glider on the trailer. The hitch is a 2" ball coupler, and the wiring harness is for a 4-pin flat plug.  All-up weight with glider loaded is about 1200#, there are no brakes.  Please be sure to use the rudder lock and tie down the controls for the spoilers and ailerons.

Schleicher Ka-8 on Wikipedia

Schleicher Ka-8

Unofficial data from Sailplane Directory

Specifications

  • Span 15.0 m./ 49.2 ft
  • Area 14.18 sq. m. / 153 sq.ft.
  • Aspect ratio 15.9
  • Airfoil Go 533/ 532
  • Empty weight 190 kg. / 418 lb.
  • Payload 120 kg. / 265 lb.
  • Gross weight 310 kg. / 683 lb.
  • Wing loading 21.81 kg. / sq. m. / 4.45 lb. / sq. ft.
  • Structure wood/ fabric wings and tail, steel-tube/ fabric fuselage
Performance
  • L/D max. 27 72 kph / 39 kt / 45 mph
  • Min. sink 0.64 m/s / 2.1 fps / 1.24 kt
  • 60 kph / 32 kt / 37 mph
    •  
Other
  • Country of origin Germany
  • Designer Rudolph Kaiser
  • No. of seats 1
  • No. built over 1,100
  • No. in the U.S. 24

The Ka-8 was derived from the Ka-6 series as a simple single-place sailplane with dive brakes using construction techniques similar to the Ka-7, and simplified for amateur construction from kits. Emphasis was on rugged construction, good climbing ability in thermals and good handling characteristics. The orignal Ka-8 had a very small canopy. The Ka-8B, by far the most numerous variant, has a substantially larger canopy while the Ka-8C features a longer nose, larger main wheel located ahead to the center of gravity and deletion of the larger wooden nose skid resulting in a roomier cockpit. Karl Striedeck of the U.S. made a 767.0 km./ 476.6 miles ridge flight in a Ka-8B to win the world out and return in 1968. ATC

Unofficial Handbook - not all in English but may still be useful.

Dartmoor gliding club has some nice links also.

history of SES's Ka-8b on our Old Paint page

Back to SES homepage

Last modified 27-Oct-2019 by CR