N5578V
by
Bob Kuykendall

The HP-11 was designed by Richard Schreder in 1962 as a high-performace racing sailplane. Schreder himself flew the prototype in the 1963 World soaring contest in Argentina, and placed a respectable third against intense competition.

I bought my HP-11 in 1989, and have since managed to fly it about 30 hours every summer. My example was built by H. Gale Abels and Sydney Flook in Colorado. Abels built the wings in his garage, and Flook built the fuselage in his basement. The first flight was logged in 1968.

Official Specifications

L/D max: 37 @ 47.8 kts,  55 mph, 89 Km/h
Min. Sink: 1.8 fps @ 50 mph, 1.07 kts @ 43.5 kts, .55 m/s @ 80.5 Km/h 
Span: 52 ft, 15.8 meters
Area:  104 sq.ft, 9.66 m^2
Aspect Ratio:  26
Empty weight:  400 lbs, 181 Kg
Gross weight:  650 lbs, 294 Kg
Wing Loading:  6.25 lbs/ft^2, 30.4 Kg/m^2
Airfoil: NACA 65 (3)-618