19 April 2018
Stemme has updated its unusual high performance motorglider, the S12, with a Garmin G3X touch screen glass cockpit providing a primary flight display plus moving map navigation, digital engine monitoring and autopilot.
The S12G also features Aveo LED lights and new winglets. The updated S12 is available with a standard wingspan of 25m, giving a glide ratio of 1:53, or a short wing (SW) option with 21.7m wingspan and a glide ratio of 1:50. The SW wing option is aimed at pilots who are likely to go touring, where the shorter wing will be easier to manage on the ground and also give a slightly faster cruise speed.
In the S12G, the twin 7in G3X screens sit either side of a central LX9000 soaring computer. US pilots in particular have asked for the glass cockpits, according to a company spokesperson. The US is Stemme’s main market.
Stemme has updated its S12 motorglider with a Garmin G3X glass cockpit. Standard analogue instruments can also be specified.
Henrik Burkal, the UK agent for Stemme, explained the aircraft’s carefully designed electrical system. It has two batteries with one being reserved for starting the engine, and the other for powering the airframe’s electrical system.
When the engine is running, a generator charges both batteries. However, when the engine is switched off for gliding (when the prop withdraws into the spinner) only one battery is being drained by electrics such as the avionics and lighting. Solar panels can be added to the airframe to top up the battery.
“We are in the final phase of certification for the new features,” said Stemme boss Paul Masschelein, “and we will deliver this evolution from 2019 onwards.”
