| Science of gliding. Solutions for Aviation.
Demonstrator Glider
EXPERIMENTAL SOEEP SX-15
The answer to 3 major challenges of glider flight:
Operational - To make pilot training more accessible, less dependent on weather conditions and independent of a tow plane for takeoff.
Environmental - Reduce emissions, noise and impact associated with towing a conventional glider.
Economical - Reduce acquisition and operating costs for clubs, flight schools and individuals.
PERFORMANCE
Empty weight: 200kg including motor and batteries.
Wingspan: 15m.
L/D ratio: 44.
Autonomy: 1 takeoff with an altitude gain of 3000m, or 4 takeoffs with an altitude gain of 700m.
Climb rate: 3 m/s.
AUTONOMOUS
The next generation autonomous glider. Maximum independence and efficiency on the ground and in the air.
No tugboat. No tugboat pilot. No fuel. Financial and logistical cost per flight hour reduced by more than 60%.
LEGACY
The development of the SX-15 is based on the implementation of the most advanced technologies within already proven aerodynamic, mechanical, and structural solutions.
Our expertise is built on more than 50 years of heritage in glider design.
We are
GLIDER MANUFACTURERS
The agility of a start-up combined with nearly 50 years of heritage and know-how in unpowered flight. SOEEP designs and builds gliders, by definition: Société d'Etudes, d'Expérimentation et de Production de Planeurs.
The SX-15 demonstrator is currently under construction in our facilities, true to our team's values: pragmatic and efficient engineering, both on the flying machines and on the development and manufacturing processes that lead to them.
ZERO EMISSIONS
The glider. The only truly zero-emission aviation.
In the heart of the Savoy Alps, it's easy to see the culmination of tens of thousands of years of evolution and adaptation of the flora and fauna to their natural environment. Nature has found the best solutions, so let's take inspiration from it and preserve it, rather than asking it to keep up with our pace.
SECURITY
A cockpit designed for impact safety? No, a glider designed for impact safety. A comprehensive composite structure conceived from the outset to absorb the energy of an impact outside the cockpit, with composite structures acting as a fuse to dissipate the energy before it reaches the pilot compartment. Because carbon/Kevlar fabric is all well and good, but it's not enough.
RELIABILITY
Our design processes cover the entire life cycle of the glider, carefully considering both flight and maintenance phases, in accordance with eco-design standards and LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) methodologies.
SIMPLICITY
Because in engineering "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication," our glider features simple and robust mechanical systems, with a minimal number of parts and reduced complexity. This significantly reduces maintenance time and costs.
PERFORMANCE
A 200kg autonomous glider with only 3% carbon? It's possible, it's the SX-15, the demonstrator we are building.
Exceptional performance is on the agenda: On a single charge, 4 takeoffs with an altitude gain of 700m or 1 takeoff with a climb to 3000m altitude.
With a glide ratio of 44 over a wide speed range, that's at least 150km in a glide with the engine off, without even using aerology.