European marketing name: Super Dimona
North American marketing name: Katana Xtreme

TYPE: Motor glider

PROGRAMME: Original Hoffman H-36 Dimona (Diamond) was designed by Austrian-German team, first flight by first of three prototypes taking place in Germany 9 October 1980; production, in Austria, started May 1981; Dimona Mk II introduced May 1985 (smaller wingtip fairings, modified cowling, better propeller pitch control, stronger main gear, sprung steerable tailwheel); production of H-36 totalled over 275 by 1989.
Development of HK 36R Super Dimona (considerably redesigned by Dieter Kohler - hence K in designation) started March 1987; first flight, with 67.1 kW (90 hp) Limbach L 2400 engine, October 1989, and one or two more completed with Limbach engines, but Rotax 912 adopted as standard power plant. Production began April 1990 and Austrian certification to JAR 22 awarded 15 May 1990. Manufacture totalled 114 by 1995, when supplanted by current versions. 'Short-wing' LF 2000 was proof-of-concept for DA 20 Katanas; TS and TTS versions introduced 1995, but discontinued two years later; these and current TC/TTC featured winglets; prototypes (OE-9415 and OE-9416) built 1995. In 1997, export Dimonas for the North American market were renamed Katana Xtreme.

CURRENT VERSIONS: HK 36TC 80: Tricycle landing gear version of now discontinued HK 36TS. Some 20 TS/TC built in 1996, four in 1998 and eight for Indian Air Force in early 2000.
HK 36TC 100: As HK 36TC 80, but with Rotax 912S-3 engine.
HK 36TTC 115: As HK 36TC 80 but with Rotax 914. Majority of production is this version. Eco version described separately.
HK 36TTC-MPX: Described separately.

CUSTOMERS: Two prototypes and 201 of T/TT series built by early 2001, when manufacture temporarily halted to concentrate on Diamond Star; some 26 more built in early 2002, but production line then in process of transfer to Pasewalk, Germany. Total includes at least 150 TTCs and 35 TCs. Sold to customers in Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, UK, USA and elsewhere. First of five for French Air Force delivered to Ecole de l'Air on 1 June 2002. Production totals for previous versions given under Programme. Sales of all H/HK 36versions totalled 880 by mid-2002.

COSTS: TC 80 €112,900; TC 100 €118,900; TTC 115 €123,700, ex-works, excluding taxes (all 2003).

DESIGN FEATURES: Conventional motor glider, with T tail and low/mid wing. Wings can be detached and folded back alongside fuselage for transportation and storage. Improvements of T/TT series (from 1996) include carbon fibre main spar. Compared with H-36 Dimona, HK 36 has modified inboard leading-edge, sweptback wingtips and Schempp-Hirth (instead of DFS) type airbrakes; better access to engine and control system via completely removable cowlings; improved spin characteristics; stronger main landing gear and improved tailwheel springing; larger canopy with new mechanism; wingroot fairings and rear fuselage redesigned.
Wortman wing sections: FX-63-137 at root, FX-71 at tip fairings.

FLYING CONTROLS: Conventional and manual. Longitudinal stability improved in Super Dimona over original by increasing elevator chord and adding trim tab; airbrakes in wing upper surface.

STRUCTURE: Mainly of GFRP; carbon fibre wing spar and main bulkhead. GFRP mainwheel legs and fairings.

LANDING GEAR: Non-retractable tricycle type, with free-castoring nosewheel, ±30°. Wheel fairings on all three legs.

POWER PLANT: TC 80: One 59.6 kW (79.9 hp) Rotax 912A-3 flat-four with 2.27:1 reduction drive to an MT-Propeller composites, two-blade, three-position constant-speed and feathering propeller.
TC 100: One 73.5 kW (98.6 hp) Rotax 912S-3.
TTC 115: One 84.6 kW (113.4 hp) Rotax 914F-3.
Fuel tank in fuselage, capacity 77 litres (20.3 US gallons; 16.9 Imp gallons).

ACCOMMODATION: Two seats side by side. Cockpit canopy hinged at rear to open upward. Baggage space aft of seats.

AVIONICS: Optional avionics suites from Bendix/King and Garmin.
Comms: Bendix/King KX 125 nav/com, KY 97A com, and KT 76A or KT 76C transponder; KMD 150 GPS, Garmin GNS 420 nav/com, GNX 150XL GPS/com, GTX 327 transponder and GMA 340 audio panel.