The Scheibe Zugvogel ( en, Migratory bird) is a West German, high-wing, single-seat, FAI Open Class

glider Glider may refer to: Aircraft and transport Aircraft * Glider (aircraft), heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight ** Glider (sailplane), a rigid-winged glider aircraft with an undercarriage, used in the sport of glidin ...

that was produced by

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 ...

. The first version was designed by Rudolph Kaiser and subsequent versions by Egon Scheibe.Simons, Martin, ''Sailplanes 1945-1965'', (Ed: Eqip) p.162

Design and development

The Zugvogel was designed with the goal of a simple and inexpensive, but high performance, open class competition glider, with quick assembly. It was developed through several variants before production ended after 100 had been completed. The aircraft is of mixed construction, with a welded steel tube fuselage covered 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 ...

, wooden framed tail surfaces covered in fabric and wooden wings. The span wing uses a NACA 63-616

airfoil An airfoil (American English) or aerofoil (British English) is the cross-sectional shape of an object whose motion through a gas is capable of generating significant lift, such as a wing, a sail, or the blades of propeller, rotor, or turbine. ...

at the wing root, changing to a NACA 63-614 section at the wing tip. The wing uses dive brakes for glidepath control. The nose is covered with fibreglass. The landing gear is a fixed monowheel. The Zugvogel IIIB was type certified in the United States on 6 May 1964. Zugvogel IIIAs operated in the US are in the ''Experimental - Racing/Exhibition'' category.

Operational history

US glider pilot Helen Dick set a number of US national feminine single-place records in her Zugvogel IIIB between 1964 and 1967. These included a distance of , distance to goal of and an out and return distance of . In July 2011 there were three Zugvogel IIIAs and two IIIBs registered with the US Federal Aviation Administration and two Zugvogel IIIAs and four IIIBs registered with the British

Civil Aviation Authority A civil aviation authority (CAA) is a national or supranational statutory authority that oversees the regulation of civil aviation, including the maintenance of an aircraft register. Role Due to the inherent dangers in the use of flight vehicles, ...

Variants

;Zugvogel I :Initial version ;Zugvogel II :Improved version ;Zugvogel III :Improved version ;Zugvogel IIIA : wingspan, 37.8:1 glide ratio. ;Zugvogel IIIB :Similar to the IIIA, but with a shallower fuselage. ;Zugvogel IV ;Zugvogel IVA ; Scheibe SF-27 Zugvogel V : FAI Standard Class development ;Loravia LCA-10 Topaze: ;Loravia LCA-11 Topaze:

Aircraft on display

Deutsches Segelflugmuseum The Deutsches Segelflugmuseum mit Modellflug ( en, German Glider Museum with Model Aircraft), situated on the Wasserkuppe in the German state of Hesse is the national gliding museum, opened in 1987. History German glider pilots and designers hav ...

Specifications (Zugvogel IIIA)

References

External links

* {{Scheibe aircraft 1950s German sailplanes Zugvogel Glider aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1954