ITS-8

Role	Motor-glider
National origin	Poland
Manufacturer	Institute of gliding techniques (I.T.S.), University of Lwów
Designer	Wieslaw Stępniewski
First flight	late August 1936
Number built	2

The ITS-8 was a twin-boom motor glider

Design and development

In the mid-1930s there was growing Polish interest in low cost powered gliders and and other small, low powered, structurally simple aircraft. The Lwów University's Institute of Gliding Techniques studies of motor gliders was guided by FAi specifications for the new International Powered Glider Class and received funding from LOPP. the ITS-8 was designed to have a gliding performance competitive with contemporary intermediate and high performance unpowered machines. These specifications suggested a conventional glider nose and forward fuselage was required, hence a pusher engine and, to avoid pylon engine mountain. a twin-boom layout.

Variants

ITS-8

First prototype.

ITS-8W

Second prototype, with more powerful engine and improved engine mounting

ITS-8M

Intended for meteorological research, with flaps and retractable landing gear, but unfinished at the start of World War II.

Specifications (ITS-)

Data from J. Cynk (1971)

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 6.4 m (21 ft 0 in)
• Wingspan: 13.6 m (44 ft 7 in)
• Wing area: 16.9 m² (182 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 180 kg (397 lb)
• Gross weight: 290 kg (639 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Koeber Kötter M3 flat twin engine, 13 kW (18 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed Zomanski, 1.36 m (4 ft 6 in) diameter wooden

Performance

• Maximum speed: 120 km/h (75 mph, 65 kn) at sea level
• Cruise speed: 110 km/h (68 mph, 59 kn)
• Service ceiling: 1,500 m (4,900 ft)
• Rate of climb: 1.3 m/s (260 ft/min)
• Rate of sink: 0.91 m/s (179 ft/min) engine off
• Landing speed: 45 km/h (28 mph; 24 kn)

References

Category:Twin boom aircraft Category:Pusher aircraft Category:Motor gliders Category:Polish sport aircraft 1930–1939