THE WORLD'S SAILPLANES DIE SEGELFLUGZEUGE DER WELT LES FLANEURS DANS LE MONDE OSTIV i »$ THE WORLD'S SAILPLANES DIE SEGELFLUGZEUGE DEB WELT / LES FLANEURS DANS LE MONDE Printed by Biichler & Co., Berne, Switzerland THE WORLD'S SAILPLANES DIE SEGELFLUGZEUGE DER WELT LES FLANEURS DANS LE MONDE Published by ORGANISATION SCIENTIFIQUE ET TECHNIQUE INTERNATIONALE DU VOL A VOILE (OSTIV) and SCHWEIZER AERO-REVUE/AERO-REVUE SUISSE Chairman Publication Committee: BETSY WOODWARD Editor Schweizer Aero-Revue: ALEX STIRNEMANN Editorial Committee: K. G. WILKINSON, Chairman PETERBROOKS B. S. SHENSTONE First Edition JUNE 1958 Contents Introduction .......................... 1 Present State of Sailplane Design .................. 3 Austria - Osterreich - Autriche ................... 9 Brazil - Brasilien - Bresil .................... 15 Denmark - Danemark - Danemark .................. 18 Finland - Finnland - Finlande .................. 19 France - Frankreich - France ................... 27 Germany - Deutschland - Allemagne ................. 45 East Germany - Deutsche Demokratische Republik - Allemagne de 1'Est .... 99 Great Britain - Grofibritannien - Grande-Bretagne ............ 102 Hungary - Ungarn - Hongrie ................... 129 Italy - Italien - Italie ....................... 146 Netherlands - Niederlande - Pays-Bas ................ 158 Poland - Polen - Pologne ..................... 161 Switzerland - Schweiz - Suisse .................. 166 United States - Vereinigte Staaten - Etats-Unis ............. 172 Yugoslavia - Jugoslawien - Yougoslavie ................ 194 Definitions of Terms ....................... 201 Obersetzung technischer Ausdrucke - Traduction des termes techniques .... 204 Conversion of units ........................ 208 Advertisements ......................... 209 Index ............................. 227 Index of Advertisers Schweizer Aircraft Corporation ................... 211 Briegleb Aircraft Co. and The Seair Co. ................ 212 Moitoimport .......................... 212 Survol Charles Fauvel ...................... 213 Josef Oberlerchner Holzindustrie .................. 213 Wolf Hirth GmbH ........................ 214 Scheibe Flugzeugbau ....................... 214 K. und M. Pfeifer ........................ 214 Normalair Ltd. ......................... 215 Peravia Ltd. .......................... 216 Philips AG ........................... 216 Irving Air Chute of Great Britain Ltd. ................. 217 Skycrafters Aviation Radio ..................... 217 Brookes & Gatehouse Ltd. ..................... 217 Cossor Communications Company Ltd. ................ 218 Ottley Motors Ltd. ........................ 218 Thermal Equipment Ltd. ..................... 218 Kent Gliding Club Ltd. ...................... 218 Midland Gliding Club Ltd. ..................... 218 Lasham Gliding Centre ...................... 219 London Gliding Club ....................... 219 British Gliding Association ..................... 219 OSTIV Publication IV ....................... 219 John Murray Ltd. ........................ 220 Pergamon Press Ltd. ....................... 220 Diana Wyllie Ltd. ........................ 221 A. & C. Black Ltd. ........................ 221 Australian Gliding Magazine .................... 221 Soaring Magazine ........................ 221 Sailplane and Gliding ....................... 221 Flight ............................ 222 Aero-Revue .......................... 222 Flying ............................ 223 Svenska Aeroplan AB ....................... 224 British European Airways ..................... 225 Introduction This book marks the climax of work begun in the winter of 1956. It is believed to be the most complete international directory of gliders that has been compiled to date. After the task of the past 'eighteen months it is understandable that such a directory has not appeared previously. The reader will note that a number of sailplanes are not included. With perhaps a few isolated exceptions these omissions are not due to oversight on the part of the Publica­ tion Committee. Each National Aero Club was requested to send a list of gliders con­ structed in their country since 1945. Forms were sent to all manufacturers and designers known to the Committee. Because it would have been impossible to include information on all designs it was decided to select the following: post-war production gliders, "one-off" designs of high performance and/or of special interest, well-known pre-war gliders that are still actively flying. In order to publish as complete and accurate information as possible we attempted to obtain the data directly from either the designer or manufacturer. If this failed information was obtained, when possible, from the government licensing agency. The returned forms were then checked by the OSTIV Technical Editorial Committee. In many cases it was necessary to return the forms two or three times for correction and additional information. By adhering to this policy it is felt that the enclosed is as accurate as is humanly possible. Brief mention however, should be made concerning performance figures. These have been supplied by the manufacturer and the majority are computed; few sailplanes have been accurately flight tested. Each month data on new sailplanes and others which are not included here will be published in the OSTIV Section of the "Swiss Aero Revue". When the need and demand arises a second edition of "The World's Sailplanes" will be printed. It is hoped that those designing and constructing sailplanes will contact us so that details of their gliders may be included. It is realised that the completion of data forms is a large and tedious task and that considerable time must be spent by the designer or manufacturer. I would therefore like to thank all of those who gave so generously of their time so that information on their gliders could be made available to all. I am also indebted to K. G. Wilkinson, B. S. Shenstone and Peter W. Brooks of the Editorial Committee for the many hours they spent collecting and checking information; to Ann Welch for supplying the plate of the sailplane on the cover; but especially to the "Swiss Aero Revue" and its Editor, Alex Stirnemann, for their assistance and for publishing the information initially in their journal. Betsy Woodward Present State of Sailplane Desigrn by B. S. Shenstone 1. General Trends airbrakes was also a major improvement. The sailplanes described in OSTIV's It is thirtyseven years since the first real data sheets are mostly post-war designs, sailplane, theVampyr, was flown and gave and they therefore incorporate the latest a hint of the future. With a span of 12.6 m, thinking on desirable or necessary char­ it could be called small. Spans increased acteristics. If anything, good penetration greatly during the following few years, is receiving even more attention. This is the years of concentration on sinking reflected in some slight reduction in the speed, the years of high camber and low optimum span. On the other hand, the penetration which lasted into the 1930's. trend toward series production has also During the last half of the 1930's the idea led toward smaller spans for cost reasons. of good penetration gained many adher­ The main post-war trends are attempts ents. This meant that a wide, useful speed at achieving laminar flow over wings and range became more important than min­ the use of light alloy structures. The first imum sinking speed. Instead of striving for, of these trends is the next natural step say, a minimum sink of 0.7 m/sec the trend forward in improving penetration. It in­ was more like striving for the highest volves not only the use of special wing possible forward speed at a sinking speed sections, but can affect the wing plan form of, say, 3 m/sec. Of course that is an over­ and the wing structure. The special sec­ simplification, and the rate of sink usable tions permitting a considerable degree of in thermals could not be lost sight of. laminar boundary layer conditions only These requirements resulted in the use permit this and the resulting lower drag of lower cambered wings, but care in detail under very particular conditions. The wing drag reductions saved most of the loss in chord must not be too small, and the wing minimum sink inherent in lower camber. surface must be of a certain standard of However, the sink/speed curve was greatly smoothness and waviness. Practically all improved at the higher speeds, giving much pre-war sailplanes, although their wings improved range capabilities. were often highly polished, were far too Apart from these aerodynamic trends, wavy to permit much laminar flow, partic- great structural developments took place, ulary the wing upper surface when in and fairly realistic strength requirements flight. Therefore, the use of laminar flow were laid down by some countries. This sections has led to the development of was necessary because of a number of much firmer wing surfaces, typified by structural failures in the early years. There those using thin plywood backed by balsa are signs of a slight trend toward metal wood or foam plastics, or by the use of instead of wood. lighter but more bulky softwood plywoods The third major development trend was for wing surfaces. The necessity for avoid­ a gradual improvement in stability and ing lower Reynolds Numbers (small chords controllability standards combined with an at low speeds) has been to some extent improvement in cockpit layouts toward met by less span, less taper and higher pilot comfort and efficiency. The early cruising