The Scheibe ''Spatz'' (German: " Sparrow") is a German glider with a mixed metal and wood construction that was built in 1952 until 1962. Later versions were known as the L-Spatz, the letter L standing for ''Leistung'', which is German for "performance".

Scheibe Flugzeugbau Scheibe Flugzeugbau was a manufacturer of sailplanes and motorgliders in Germany in the second half of the 20th century. Founded by Egon Scheibe at the Munich-Riem Airport to produce his Bergfalke design in 1951,Gunston 1993, p.270 the company ha ...

built the Spatz A in 1952. Two years later in 1954 the first L-Spatz 55 was airborne. Three hundred L-Spatz 55s were built in Germany, 155 in France under the name Avialsa A.60 Fauconnet, and 16 in Italy as the Meteor MS-30 L Passero; production was discontinued in 1962. It is a single-seater cantilever shoulder-winged sailplane with a cruising (max L/D) speed of 45 mph. It has an empty weight of 157 kg and a maximum take-off weight of 269 kg. The single spar wing and tail were constructed using fabric-covered wood, whereas the fuselage consisted of steel tubing covered with fabric. The L-Spatz 55 has good climbing performance due to light construction. The glide angle is 29:1. The longest known cross-country flight was more than 600 km from Burg Feuerstein, Germany to France. Many gliding clubs operated the L-Spatz 55, well known for its easy handling, including easy recovery from a spin.

Variants

;Spatz A :Certified in 1952 with a 13.20 metre wingspan, 6.19 m length. ;Spatz B :Strengthened and improved variant with a 13.20 metre wingspan, 6.19 m length, certified in 1952. ;Spatz 55 :Certified in 1952 with a 13.20 metre wingspan, 6.25 m length. ;L-Spatz :Certified in 1954 with a 15.00 metre wingspan, 6.05 m length. ;L-Spatz 55 :Certified in 1954 with a 15.00 metre wingspan, 6.25 m length. ;L-Spatz III :Certified in 1966 with a 15.00 metre wingspan, 6.25 m length. Avialsa-A60-01

;Avialsa 60 Fauconnet :Licence production in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. ;Meteor MS-30 L-Passero :Licence production in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. ;Electravia Electro Light 2 :

Electric aircraft An electric aircraft is an aircraft powered by electricity. Electric aircraft are seen as a way to reduce the environmental effects of aviation, providing zero emissions and quieter flights. Electricity may be supplied by a variety of methods, ...

version powered by an electric drive system, with a nose-mounted propeller.Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 166. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015.

Aircraft on display

Museum für Luftfahrt und Technik The Museum für Luftfahrt und Technik Wernigerode is an aviation museum located in the German town of Wernigerode near Halberstadt. Many aerospace exhibits are on display including fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and aircraft engines. The main di ...

National Soaring Museum The National Soaring Museum (NSM) is an aviation museum whose stated aim is to preserve the history of motorless flight. It is located on top of Harris Hill near Elmira, New York, United States. The NSM is the Soaring Society of America's officia ...

* Museum of Military Technique GRYF in Dąbrówka near Wejherowo (Poland)

Specifications (L-Spatz 55)

Notes

References

External links

L-Spatz on sailplanedirectory.com
{{Scheibe aircraft 1950s German sailplanes Glider aircraft

Spatz ''Spatz'' is a children's comedy series that ran on Children's ITV during the 1990s, produced by Thames Television and created by Andrew Bethell. The show originally ran from 21 February 1990 to 10 April 1992. The show centred on a fast food r ...