127:) on their approach to 'Land-on'. To investigate this phenomenon the Admiralty authorised a research program to establish airflow patterns over the 'Round-down' on large aircraft carriers using a suitable glider towed behind a carrier using a small winch to allow the glider to climb, descend and move forwards and backwards in relation to the 'Round-down'. John Sproule, former designer at Slingsby, was ordered to find a suitable aircraft and carry out the test flying. In 1945 Sproule visited the Slingsby works and took the prototype T.20 away for use in the carrier trials.
188:. Initial flights with Sproule at the controls went well, but his deputy's first outing ended in disaster as the pilot failed to pull back on the stick to climb away, staying close to the deck weaving from side to side till eventually the tow cable snagged a telecoms antenna and unceremoniously dumped the T.20 into the sea alongside the carrier. The deputy pilot was rescued but the unfortunate T.20 was rammed by an accompanying destroyer to ensure the wreckage sank.
158:
him in so he could gain height. The winch engine had stalled and was reluctant to start, but just as
Sproule was preparing to abandon the T.20 in the wake of the carrier, the winch burst into life and the T.20 climbed away allowing the shaken Sproule to land the T.20 back on the deck. Results gathered by the instruments were of poor quality so the trials on
106:. The aircraft borrowed design elements from several predecessors, including an enlarged wing from the T.8 Kirby Tutor, and a fuselage, reminiscent of the early Falcons, with cabane struts in front of the rear cockpit, which sat in front of the narrow cabane structure under the centre-section, as well as an additional cockpit in the nose.
157:
docks and on 29 May 1945 the T.20 took off, tethered to a winch on the flight deck. The glider was manoeuvred around the aft end of the carrier, as she steamed along at 35 knots, until there was a sudden shift in the wind which left
Sproule struggling to maintain height calling for the winch to haul
114:
Flying with the T.20 began in 1944 with no reported problems, the prototype languished at Sutton Bank
Gliding Club, emerging only to fly the occasional illegal soaring flight, the pilots that flew the T.20 all praising its handling. No production order was forthcoming however.
101:
The Type 20 was probably the least well known
Slingsby product, yet it arguably had the most exciting flying life. The design started life in parallel with the larger Type 21, as a private venture inexpensive robust two-seat training glider intended for the
123:
During the intensive carrier operations of the war it had been noticed that there were many accidents as aircraft neared the 'Round-down' (the aft edge of the
481:
146:
aerodrome where initial trials were carried out at low altitude towed behind a car. The glider, scientists, John
Sproule and winch were loaded onto
949:
939:
449:
430:
403:
383:
361:
474:
954:
944:
467:
235:
459:
147:
918:
173:
After the scientists had modified their instruments, a new set of trials were authorised to take place on
903:
798:
748:
622:
612:
522:
310:
180:. Sproule and an experienced glider pilot as deputy, scientists, glider and equipment were embarked on
853:
838:
803:
793:
743:
738:
722:
632:
602:
592:
537:
532:
174:
818:
813:
808:
562:
557:
547:
517:
893:
888:
883:
833:
667:
647:
637:
542:
103:
86:
32:
783:
587:
491:
445:
426:
399:
379:
357:
90:
55:
898:
878:
868:
828:
823:
758:
753:
702:
662:
652:
627:
607:
567:
512:
139:
858:
848:
778:
773:
597:
552:
507:
322:
305:
185:
913:
788:
768:
707:
682:
642:
933:
908:
873:
863:
843:
763:
712:
697:
692:
677:
672:
657:
582:
577:
527:
717:
617:
249:
154:
124:
687:
143:
244:
398:
Simons, Martin. "Slingsby
Sailplanes". Shrewsbury, Airlife. 1996.
463:
378:(1st ed.). London: Adam & Charles Black. p. 190.
199:
British
Gliders and Sailplanes 1922-1970, Slingsby Sailplanes
138:
The T.20 was fitted with special instrumentation and large
731:
498:
300:
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
475:
8:
482:
468:
460:
492:Slingsby Sailplanes and Slingsby Aviation
376:British Gliders and Sailplanes 1922-1970
348:
346:
344:
342:
340:
338:
334:
290:3.6 lb/sq ft (17.6 kg/m)
20:
7:
231:290.0 sq ft (26.94 m)
225:54 ft 6 in (16.61 m)
219:24 ft 3 in (7.39 m)
14:
423:Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation
278:173 ft/min (0.88 m/s)
192:Specifications (Slingsby T.20)
119:Preparation for carrier trials
1:
356:. Shrewsbury: Airlife, 1996.
263:1,000 lb (453.6 kg)
16:British two-seat glider, 1944
950:Aircraft first flown in 1944
425:. London: Studio Editions.
971:
311:Slingsby T.31 Tandem Tutor
257:509 lb (231 kg)
93:that first flew in 1944.
23:
940:1940s British sailplanes
142:flaps, fixed at 30°, at
444:. Shrewsbury: Airlife.
440:Simons, Martin (1996).
204:General characteristics
421:Taylor, J. H. (1989).
166:Carrier trials on HMS
131:Carrier trials on HMS
97:Design and development
89:designed and built by
955:Parasol-wing aircraft
490:Aircraft produced by
442:Slingsby Sailplanes
354:Slingsby Sailplanes
306:Slingsby T.2 Falcon
374:e, Norman (1971).
104:Air Training Corps
945:Slingsby aircraft
927:
926:
718:T.66 Tipsy Nipper
613:T.31 Tandem Tutor
563:T.15 Kirby Gull 1
558:T.14 Kirby Gull 1
548:T.12 Kirby Gull 1
79:
78:
56:Slingsby Aviation
962:
683:T.55 Regal Eagle
633:T.38 Grasshopper
603:T.29 Motor Tutor
484:
477:
470:
461:
455:
436:
407:
396:
390:
389:
371:
365:
352:Simons, Martin.
350:
271:
206:
162:were abandoned.
72:
44:
36:Type of aircraft
21:
970:
969:
965:
964:
963:
961:
960:
959:
930:
929:
928:
923:
727:
688:T.56 Currie Wot
538:T.8 Kirby Tutor
533:T.7 Kirby Cadet
523:T.5 Grunau Baby
500:
494:
488:
458:
452:
439:
433:
420:
416:
411:
410:
397:
393:
386:
373:
372:
368:
351:
336:
331:
323:List of gliders
297:
267:
202:
194:
186:English Channel
171:
160:Pretoria Castle
150:Pretoria Castle
136:
133:Pretoria Castle
121:
112:
99:
70:
47:United Kingdom
43:National origin
42:
37:
17:
12:
11:
5:
968:
966:
958:
957:
952:
947:
942:
932:
931:
925:
924:
922:
921:
916:
911:
906:
901:
896:
891:
886:
881:
876:
871:
866:
861:
856:
851:
846:
841:
836:
831:
826:
821:
816:
811:
806:
801:
796:
791:
786:
781:
776:
771:
766:
761:
756:
751:
746:
741:
735:
733:
729:
728:
726:
725:
720:
715:
710:
705:
700:
695:
690:
685:
680:
675:
670:
668:T.50 Skylark 4
665:
660:
655:
650:
648:T.43 Skylark 3
645:
640:
638:T.41 Skylark 2
635:
630:
625:
620:
615:
610:
605:
600:
595:
590:
585:
580:
575:
570:
565:
560:
555:
550:
545:
540:
535:
530:
525:
520:
518:T.4 Falcon III
515:
510:
504:
502:
496:
495:
489:
487:
486:
479:
472:
464:
457:
456:
450:
437:
431:
417:
415:
412:
409:
408:
391:
384:
366:
333:
332:
330:
327:
326:
325:
314:
313:
308:
296:
293:
292:
291:
285:
279:
265:
264:
258:
252:
241:
232:
226:
220:
214:
193:
190:
170:
164:
135:
129:
120:
117:
111:
108:
98:
95:
85:was a British
77:
76:
73:
67:
66:
63:
59:
58:
53:
49:
48:
45:
39:
38:
35:
30:
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
967:
956:
953:
951:
948:
946:
943:
941:
938:
937:
935:
920:
917:
915:
912:
910:
907:
905:
902:
900:
897:
895:
892:
890:
887:
885:
882:
880:
877:
875:
872:
870:
867:
865:
862:
860:
857:
855:
852:
850:
847:
845:
842:
840:
837:
835:
832:
830:
827:
825:
822:
820:
817:
815:
812:
810:
807:
805:
802:
800:
797:
795:
792:
790:
787:
785:
782:
780:
777:
775:
772:
770:
767:
765:
762:
760:
757:
755:
752:
750:
747:
745:
742:
740:
737:
736:
734:
730:
724:
721:
719:
716:
714:
711:
709:
706:
704:
701:
699:
696:
694:
691:
689:
686:
684:
681:
679:
676:
674:
671:
669:
666:
664:
661:
659:
656:
654:
651:
649:
646:
644:
641:
639:
636:
634:
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
619:
616:
614:
611:
609:
606:
604:
601:
599:
596:
594:
591:
589:
588:T.24 Falcon 4
586:
584:
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
544:
543:T.9 King Kite
541:
539:
536:
534:
531:
529:
526:
524:
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
509:
506:
505:
503:
497:
493:
485:
480:
478:
473:
471:
466:
465:
462:
453:
451:1-85310-732-8
447:
443:
438:
434:
432:0-7106-0017-8
428:
424:
419:
418:
413:
405:
404:1-85310-732-8
401:
395:
392:
387:
385:0 7136 1189 8
381:
377:
370:
367:
363:
362:1-85310-732-8
359:
355:
349:
347:
345:
343:
341:
339:
335:
328:
324:
321:
320:
319:
318:
317:Related lists
312:
309:
307:
304:
303:
302:
301:
294:
289:
288:Wing loading:
286:
283:
282:Lift-to-drag:
280:
277:
276:Rate of sink:
274:
273:
272:
270:
262:
261:Gross weight:
259:
256:
255:Empty weight:
253:
251:
248:
246:
242:
239:
237:
233:
230:
227:
224:
221:
218:
215:
212:
209:
208:
207:
205:
200:
198:
191:
189:
187:
183:
179:
178:
169:
165:
163:
161:
156:
152:
151:
145:
141:
134:
130:
128:
126:
118:
116:
110:Flight trials
109:
107:
105:
96:
94:
92:
88:
84:
83:Slingsby T.20
74:
69:
68:
64:
62:First flight
61:
60:
57:
54:
52:Manufacturer
51:
50:
46:
41:
40:
34:
31:
28:
27:
22:
19:
904:Tandem Tutor
849:Kirby Kite 2
844:Kirby Kite 1
723:T.67 Firefly
703:T.59 Kestrel
663:T.49 Capstan
653:T.45 Swallow
628:T.37 Skylark
623:T.35 Austral
608:T.30 Prefect
572:
568:T.18 Hengist
501:designations
499:Manufacturer
441:
422:
394:
375:
369:
353:
316:
315:
299:
298:
287:
281:
275:
268:
266:
260:
254:
243:
236:Aspect ratio
234:
228:
222:
216:
210:
203:
201:
196:
195:
181:
176:
172:
167:
159:
149:
137:
132:
122:
113:
100:
82:
80:
71:Number built
18:
854:Kirby Tutor
839:Kirby Cadet
804:Grasshopper
799:Grunau Baby
598:T.26 Kite 2
593:T.25 Gull 4
553:T.13 Petrel
513:T.3 Primary
269:Performance
182:Illustrious
177:Illustrious
168:Illustrious
125:flight deck
934:Categories
809:Kirby Gull
749:Cadet TX.3
744:Cadet TX.2
739:Cadet TX.1
708:T.61 Falke
643:T.42 Eagle
508:T.1 Falcon
414:References
229:Wing area:
894:Skylark 4
889:Skylark 3
884:Skylark 2
879:Skylark 1
834:King Kite
779:Falcon II
713:T.65 Vega
673:T.51 Dart
583:T.23 Kite
250:NACA 4412
223:Wingspan:
197:Data from
175:HMS
144:Wombleton
874:Sedbergh
784:Falcon 4
774:Falcon I
618:T.34 Sky
528:T.6 Kite
295:See also
91:Slingsby
919:V-Liner
914:Venture
899:Swallow
869:Prefect
864:Phoenix
829:Kestrel
824:Hengist
794:Firefly
759:Dagling
754:Capstan
732:By name
245:Airfoil
217:Length:
184:in the
153:at the
859:Petrel
819:Gull 3
814:Gull 2
448:
429:
402:
382:
360:
87:glider
33:Glider
789:Falke
769:Eagle
329:Notes
211:Crew:
155:Clyde
65:1944
29:Role
24:T.20
909:Vega
764:Dart
698:T.58
693:T.57
678:T.53
658:T.46
578:T.21
573:T.20
446:ISBN
427:ISBN
400:ISBN
380:ISBN
358:ISBN
148:HMS
81:The
140:Zap
936::
337:^
284:18
240:10
75:1
483:e
476:t
469:v
454:.
435:.
406:.
388:.
364:.
247::
238::
213:2
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.