HpH 304S

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The 304 Shark is an 18 meter sailplane available as a pure 304S, self-launch 304MS and jet sustainer 304SJ configuration. It's easy to fly, docile and stable at all speed ranges. All control hookups are automatic. The wing is all new and optimized with help from two universities’ research. It has a thin 13.2% airfoil which reduces insect build up on the leading edge while flying. The wing planform has a special elliptical sweeping leading edge and wingtips which lower induced drag. There is a three section flaperon along the entire trailing edge. Rigging is simple with a two piece wing. The outer panel has special designed winglets.

The Shark incorporates a water ballast tank with a 180 liter capacity. Additional tanks are available in the tail to optimize the center of gravity. Maximum takeoff weight is 600 kg and L/D of 51 makes this glider the best value on the market today.

The T-tail is conventional with high precision carbon fibre prepreg technology achieving low weight and high rigidity. Stabilizer tip have a new state of the art shape raising efficiency and cutting down induced drag. Assembling the elliptical stabilizer is automatic and takes only seconds by a single pull pin.

The 304SJ has a TBS J40 jet engine based on a proven military power plant . Development was tailored to use in a glider with attention to size, weight and fuel consumption. The engine has a hi-torque electric motor for starting. Dedicated batteries offer 10 engine starts before recharging. There is a comprehensive fire detection system giving the highest level of safety. With three switches and a couple of seconds the engine is on! The sequence is Master On, Engine extend, Engine start. a full FADEC engine control system start the jet then settles back at idle. You are then ready for full throttle. Climb rates of 3 knots is achieved at 75 knots with a 24 liter / hr burn rate. You can maintain altitude at 100 knots. The fuselage take capacity is 28 liters. There is no noticeable drag with an extended engine. While running there is no vibration You can fly with a wider range of wingloading compared 304 MS because the total system weight is less than 22 lbs! The jet engine is virtually maintenance free and can be disassembled in 30 minutes.

HpH Shark Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

What is FRP (fiber reinforced plastics)? FRP term was used to cover not only carbon and glass fibres, but also the aramid/kevlar (resin is identical for all structures). HpH uses different layups to meet structural requirements. Basic load carrying structures are made of carbon. Fin is fibreglass sandwich to allow antenna installation there. Landing gear compartment is also made of fiberglass, because it is damage tolerant for peak loads (most of ground loads) and overstressed areas could be localized visually. Kevlar is used to shield the pilot in case of a crash, because carbon structures are known to be dangerous if broken. Crash-worthiness requirements led HpH to higher structural weight. HpH had to meet 9g load test simulating a crash. Structures designed according to older 6g or 3g crash-worthiness requirements are significantly lighter.

Will HpH set the C.G. to a certain number for my weight and what C.G. would it be? 2/3 aft? Flight C.G. of selflaunchers is in front of aft limit for pilots between 100 - 110 kg (with no trim). Lighter pilots can use trim weight in the nose.

What is the factory recommendation on gel coat as opposed to polyurethane/ acrylic? Acrylic paints are required in Australia due to high UV loads. Most of production to Europe and US is gel coat. Gel coat is cheaper to manufacture, nevertheless the color is not so stable as acrylic (gel coat becomes yellowish) and gel coat is prone to cracks at high altitudes.

I am almost 6’4” tall. Please confirm I can sit comfortably without taking the backrest off. Our QC manager is 198 cm tall and he fits with the backrest.

Who needs water tanks of 180 liters? Is there a way to get water tanks of 100 liters or less? Glider sizing was optimized also for self sustainer or pure glider (than you can carry 180 lts). Wing tanks are divided to 4 sections (with own valves) that can carry 45 lts each.

Can you please tell me what is your estimate of fuel consumed on a climb from 5500 ft MSL airport elevation to 10500 or 12500 MSL? (total climbs of 5000 or 7000 starting at 5500 MSL field elevartion) How much fuel will be consumed in a take off at 5500 ft elevation airport? Fuel consumption is 24 l/min, climb rate at 10000 ft is 2 m/s (4 kts) at 1000 ft 2,7 m/s (5,4 kts). Lets take conservative numbers and than for climb from 5500 ft to 10500 ft you will need 12,5 min (5 l of fuel), rest in fuselage tank (8 l) will give you next 20 minutes of climb (7800 ft).

With wing fuel tanks, do the wings feed first automatically? Or manual switching in the air is needed? Engine is fed from fuselage tank. With optional wing tank you can refill the fuselage tank from wing. Refilling is done via dedicated fuel pump and valve (operated via switch on instrument panel).

Is there a FUEL SHUT OFF VALVE in the cockpit? Fire valve lever is located close to landing gear handle. Fire valve is close to fire wall.

What is “ENGINE UNIT SWITCH” in the checklists? I see engine main, but not this one. It is the switch for Illec control instrument (it has high power consumption).

Is this a direct way to put fuel in the tank if fueling pump is bad? Like using a funnel? You can use external pump. Gravity methods needs lot of time....

How is the fuel quantity measured? Only calculated from external input? How do I know the tank is full other than a leak from the vent? There is calibrated hose behind pilot to check the fuel amount on ground. In flight you can read the fuel level at Illec control instrument (from capacity sensor in the tank - also calibrated).

What does the FIRE VALVE do? It shuts the valve on the fuel line in front of fire wall.

What does closing the fire SWITCH do other than silencing the alarm? Exactly. Then only the visual alarm is available.

Why are all batteries NOT LiFePO? Conservative approach. (There is known incident in Finland).

Is a charger for LiFePO that I have also good for charging Li Ion? Don't know. We can deliver a charger that charge both types.

Which voltage (on the Powerplant Control Unit) is showing on the display? There are two voltage informations available: Lion voltage - big red voltmeter on top of instrument panel. Battery 2 (lead type under the instrument panel) on the Illec instrument screen.

Charging the batteries: Is it possible to have two separate connectors so the lead batteries and the Li-Ion batteries so both can be charged at the same time? Li-Ion batteries are only to be charged outside of glider.

I ASSUME that when the lead batteries are being charged, both 1 and 2 are being charged regardless of the bat. Switch 1-2 position. Is that correct? During engine run only Bat 2 is charged from alternator (and you need it to run Illec instrument). Using charging socket you will charge the battery according to the selector (1 or 2) position.

WHY IS HpH STILL USING ARCHAIC LEAD BATTERIES AND NOT LiFePO BATTERIES? We can have reliable chargers, stabilizers etc. But we have NOT reliable LiFePO batteries. Most batteries on the market are re-branded china products. Cells are probably safe to run-away, but the rest of installation is doubtful - internal wiring, BMS circuits .... Yes, it is conservative approach.

What type of oil do you recommend for the engine? Castrol Power 1 racing (API TC;ISO_L_EGD; JASO FD)