The Schleicher Poppenhausen named after the town of Poppenhausen (which is near the

Wasserkuppe The is a mountain within the German state of Hesse. It is a large plateau formation at an elevation of and is the highest peak in the Rhön Mountains. Great advances in sailplane development took place on the mountain during the interwar pe ...

where Schleicher built and flew his gliders) was a two-seat

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 ...

, available as a dual control advanced trainer, produced in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

from 1928.

Design and development

The Poppenhausen was an enlarged,

tandem Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which a team of machines, animals or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction. The original use of the term in English was in ''tandem harness'', which is used for two ...

two-seat version of the single seat Schleicher Hols der Teufel. It was developed by Alexander Schleicher for production in his factory in the

valley, though it is likely that Hans Jacobs, joint chief designer with Alexander Lippisch of the single seater was involved. The Poppenhausen first flew in 1928. The Poppenhausen had a simple, constant- chord wing much like that of the Hols der Teufel though of 16% greater span, built around two spars and fabric covered except at the

leading edge The leading edge of an airfoil surface such as a wing is its foremost edge and is therefore the part which first meets the oncoming air.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, ...

which was plywood skinned. Its broad, constant chord

ailerons An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement around ...

were longer than those of the Hols der Teufel, ending at the blunt, rounded tips. The wing was supported over the fuselage by two vertical cabane struts, one on each side of the forward cockpit and a single, vertical strut centrally behind the rear cockpit. Two faired, parallel

lift strut In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of strut, which act in ...

s on each side ran from the lower forward fuselage to the wing at about 40% of the span. The Poppenhausen had a light

nacelle A nacelle ( ) is a "streamlined body, sized according to what it contains", such as an engine, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. When attached by a pylon entirely outside the airframe, it is sometimes called a pod, in which case it is attached ...

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraf ...

extending well behind the wing

trailing edge The trailing edge of an aerodynamic surface such as a wing is its rear edge, where the airflow separated by the leading edge meets.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 521. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 199 ...

and ending at a forward leaning vertical knife edge. The forward cockpit was largely ahead of the

and the rear one under the wing. Behind the wing the fuselage had the same flat, cross braced girder form as the Hols der Teufel, with a horizontal upper beam, its first diagonal brace within the nacelle. The

tailplane A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabiliser, is a small lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyropla ...

was mounted on top of the horizontal beam, its leading edge straight and strongly swept. Cropped, parallel chord

elevator An elevator or lift is a cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or decks of a building, vessel, or other structure. They a ...

s had a central cut out for

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally air or water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adve ...

movement. The

fin A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ...

was under the tailplane, formed by fabric covering between the last two vertical fuselage fames. Its upright, balanced, near rectangular rudder was hinged on the extended, final vertical frame member. The Poppenhausen landed on a rubber sprung skid which ran from the nose to a little beyond the aft lift struts.

Operational history

After its first flight in 1928 Schleicher used the Poppenhausen to introduce passengers to soaring flight. It then appeared in the company catalogue, significantly modified for production; it could be fitted with dual controls and used as an advanced trainer. In the early 1930s the idea that a two-seater, though over twice the price of a single seat

primary glider Primary gliders are a category of aircraft that enjoyed worldwide popularity during the 1920s and 1930s as people strove for simple and inexpensive ways to learn to fly.Schweizer, Paul A: ''Wings Like Eagles, The Story of Soaring in the United Sta ...

like the Zögling, could still train pilots from the beginning sufficiently faster to be economically competitive, and safer, lay in the future. Production numbers are hard to establish; one appeared in the UK on the BGA register, used by the

London Gliding Club The London Gliding Club (LGC) is a members' club whose airfield is located at the foot of the Dunstable Downs. Many privately owned gliders are based there. It has the facilities to train pilots in powerless flight, and in the skills necessary t ...

from 1930 to at least 1933. One was exported to Australia in 1931, though it may have been destroyed in a hangar fire before flying.

Specifications

References

{{Hans Jacobs aircraft 1920s German sailplanes Schleicher aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1928 Parasol-wing aircraft