The Development of the Plastic Glider

This is not just a catalog of aircraft models. The planes were built by people and are flown by people. Personal stories are woven into their history. Everything is interconnected here. –

The new era of gliding—the age of plastic—began about 20 years ago. With new designs constantly emerging, there is no end in sight to this development. Today, gliding fields around the world are home to plastic gliders of all kinds. With their elegant shapes and exceptional surface finish, they stand out clearly from conventional models. Even at smaller competitions, the scene is dominated by these gleaming white plastic “birds.” At the last two World Championships, nearly all gliders were made of plastic, and the majority were German designs. Top performances across all continents, with fantastic record-breaking feats, are being achieved in plastic gliders. Without a doubt, the development of plastic gliders has ushered in a new era in the history of gliding.

But in addition to high-performance gliders, training gliders and two-seaters are also increasingly being manufactured from this new material. Performance flying is experiencing a remarkable improvement not only at the top level but also in the nearly daily cross-country flights organized by clubs.

The plastic construction, with its excellent surface finish, resulted in a significant increase in flight performance (by about 30 percent); in fact, it was this surface finish that made the use of laminar profiles possible in the first place. Another major advantage of plastic gliders is their greater resilience during flight and easier maintenance.

Although only a short time has passed since the maiden flight of the first plastic glider in 1957, the early days of this development have almost been forgotten. Well-known names from that era, such as Phoenix, BS-1, SB-7, and D-36, are hardly known anymore. The cornerstones of this development—which took place predominantly in Germany—are the efforts of the academic flying clubs in collaboration with scientific institutes, research centers, and, not least, industrial manufacturers. In Germany alone, more than 50 different models were built, totaling over 3,000 units.

This book provides an overview of this development. The individual aircraft types are presented with a data sheet, drawings, and photos. A table containing chronological records and a comparison of similar aircraft models is included. Following some basic explanations, the most important structural features and design parameters are described. The plastic construction method and its materials are presented, and the individual stages of industrial production for a plastic glider are described. The appendix lists the addresses of manufacturers and the most important flying clubs and institutions. Detailed bibliographic references follow.

Available at bookstores or from the publisher Modell-Flugsport.