The Schneider DFS 108-14 SG-38 ''Schulgleiter'' () is a German high-wing, cable-braced, single-seat primary glider that was designed by Schneider, Rehberg and Hofmann at

Edmund Schneider ::''Content in this edit is translated from the existing German Wikipedia article at :de:Edmund Schneider (Konstrukteur)'' Edmund Schneider (26 July 1901 - 5 July 1968 was a German aircraft designer and owner of a glider factory. Career Early l ...

'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 Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills. Flight training can be conducted under a str ...

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 Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures. The de Havilland Mosquito is an example of this technique, as ar ...

. 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 Stamer is a surname. Notable people with the name include: *Henrik Stamer Hedin (born 1946), Danish communist and translator, chairman of Communist Party of Denmark * Josh Stamer (born 1977), American football linebacker * Lovelace Stamer (1829� ...

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.Sailplanes 1920-1945, Martin Simons, EQIP, 2001

Licence production

The SG-38 was built in Japan as the Tachikawa Ki-24.

Operational history

Fotothek df ld 0003142 001 Sport ^ Flugsport ^ Segelflug

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. From 1949 to 1951 Spain's

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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,

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, Denmark * Deutsches Museum, Munich, Germany * Museo del Aire, Madrid, Spain * Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace,

Paris – Le Bourget Airport Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Sin ...

, France *

Museu do Ar The Air Museum ( pt, Museu do Ar) is an aviation museum of the Portuguese Air Force located at Sintra Air Base and with spaces at Ovar and Alverca. History The museum dates back to the ''Aero Clube de Portugal'' in 1909 and was created in ...

, Sintra, Portugal * National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio, USA * Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden, Bedfordshire, England

Specifications (SG 38)

Images

File:Gleiter SG-38.jpg, SG-38 bungee launch File:Schulgleiter SG-38 768px.jpg, SG-38 landing File:Fotothek df ld 0003140 001a Sport ^ Flugsport ^ Segelflug.jpg, SG-38 being carried to the launch point File:Aircraft Glider Schneider SG 38.jpg, SG-38 in the Deutsches Museum Munich, Germany

References

{{Swedish military aircraft designations 1930s German sailplanes

SG 38 Schulgleiter The Schneider DFS 108-14 SG-38 ''Schulgleiter'' () 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 ...

Articles containing video clips Aircraft first flown in 1938 Glider aircraft High-wing aircraft Edmund Schneider aircraft