• Source: DFS SG 38 Schulgleiter

The Schneider DFS 108-14 SG-38 Schulgleiter (School glider) is a German high-wing, cable-braced, single-seat primary glider that was designed by Schneider, Rehberg and Hofmann at Edmund Schneider's factory at Grunau in 1938, hence the designation. It was produced by several builders, including Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS).




Design and development


The SG 38 was designed to be a training glider for basic flight training by the Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps (NSFK). The usual launch method was by bungee cord from a sloped hill. Because training was conducted solely by solo flight the aircraft had to be very easy to fly and also easy to repair.
The high-wing design uses a kingpost and cable bracing. The primary structure of the glider is of wood, with the wings, tail surfaces and inverted "V" kingpost all finished in doped aircraft fabric covering. The pilot sits on a simple seat in the open air, without a windshield.
The basic configuration was similar to earlier gliders such as the Stamer Lippisch Zögling and the Grunau IX, but the SG 38 was an entirely new design. Improvements included enlarged tail surfaces for better stability, a separate skid mounted on shock-absorbing springs, and an updated seat for the pilot.




Operational history



The SG-38 played a critical role in pilot training for the Luftwaffe in the Second World War, as a simple, but robust, trainer for the rapid increase in the number of pilots needed by Germany. It was commonly flown by bungee launch on the slopes of the Wasserkuppe and the hills of Saarmund.
From 1949 to 1951 Spain's AISA produced 50 licence-built aircraft.
In the UK, Elliotts of Newbury built a copy of the SG.38 called the Elliotts Primary EoN; its version first flown in 1948 and used by the RAF as the Eton TX.1.




Aircraft on display


Danmarks Flymuseum, Stauning Vestjylland Airport, Denmark
Deutsches Museum, Munich, Germany
Museo del Aire, Madrid, Spain
Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, Paris – Le Bourget Airport, France
Museu do Ar, Sintra, Portugal
National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio, USA
Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden, Bedfordshire, England




Specifications (SG 38)



Data from General characteristics
Crew: One
Length: 6.28 m (20 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 10.41 m (34 ft 2 in)
Height: 2.43 m (8 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 16 m2 (170 sq ft)
Aspect ratio: 6.76
Empty weight: 100 kg (220 lb)
Gross weight: 210 kg (463 lb)
Performance

Maximum speed: 115 km/h (71 mph, 62 kn)
Never exceed speed: 115 km/h (71 mph, 62 kn)
Maximum glide ratio: 10:1 at 52 km/h
Wing loading: 13.75 kg/m2 (2.82 lb/sq ft)




Bibliography


Sinnhuber, Karl (2012). Salzburg To Stalingrad. UK: Milton Keynes. ISBN 9781471702228.




See also



Related development

Elliotts Primary EoN
G 101
Slingsby Grasshopper
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Detroit G1 Gull
Harakka
Jongblood Primary
Schweizer SGP 1-1

Related lists

List of gliders
List of Interwar military aircraft




Images























References

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Daftar pesawat militer Jerman dalam Perang Dunia II
• DFS SG 38 Schulgleiter
• Primary glider
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• List of military aircraft of Nazi Germany
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• DFS 40
• List of interwar military aircraft
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