The Schweizer SGS 2-8 is an American two-seat, mid-wing, strut-braced, training
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 ...
built by
Schweizer Aircraft of
Elmira, New York.
[Said, Bob: ''1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine'', pages 26. Soaring Society of America, November 1983. USPS 499-920]
The 2-8 was originally known simply as "The Schweizer Two-Place" when it first flew in June 1938. When
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
started, the 2-8 became a military trainer for the
US Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
,
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
and
Marines
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
and all existing aircraft were drafted into military service. After the war they were sold as surplus and quickly became sought after in civil soaring for their structural strength, lightness and their rugged all-metal design. The 2-8 became one of the most popular post war trainers in the United States.
Design and development
During the 1920s and 1930s gliding was often self-taught or taught in single place sailplanes. An instructor would often coach the student using hand signals from the automobile towing the glider into the air. By the mid-1930s the benefits of having a two-place glider for training were beginning to be recognized by glider instructors.
A number of two-place designs were demonstrated in the United States, including the Gross Sky Ghost in 1932, the Funk two-place and the Bowlus-duPont two place, both of which first flew in 1933.
In late 1937 the Airhoppers Gliding Club of
Long Island, New York approached the
Schweizer brothers to see about the design of a Schweizer two-place glider specifically for training purposes.
The
Schweizer Metal Aircraft Company
The Schweizer Aircraft Corporation was an American manufacturer of sailplanes, agricultural aircraft and helicopters located in Horseheads, New York. It was incorporated in 1939 by three Schweizer brothers (Paul, William, and Ernest), who bu ...
built the 2-8 prototype over the winter of 1937-1938. The aircraft was completed and first flew in June 1938, in time to fly in the US National Soaring Championships.
The first dozen 2-8s delivered went to clubs and individuals and were not certified aircraft at that time.
One 2-8 was ordered by the
Soaring Society of America
The Soaring Society of America (SSA) was founded at the instigation of Warren E. Eaton to promote the sport of soaring in the USA and internationally. The first meeting was held in New York City in the McGraw–Hill Building on February 20, 193 ...
for use by their general manager, Henry Wightman, and was flown from the
Washington DC
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
area.
[Schweizer, Paul A: ''Wings Like Eagles, The Story of Soaring in the United States'', page 69. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1988. ]
At the time of the sale to SSA, Bob McDowell, the attorney who notarized the bill of sale, indicated to the Schweizers that they should move their manufacturing operation out of their father's barn and relocate to the
Elmira, New York area. The Schweizers received the suggestion positively as they needed more space to produce gliders, but they had no money with which to make the move. McDowell convinced Elmira Industries Inc, the local business development corporation, to provide space for the Schweizers on the second floor of the Elmira Knitting Mill Building in return for stock in the company. This resulted in the Schweizer Metal Aircraft Company becoming the
Schweizer Aircraft Corporation
The Schweizer Aircraft Corporation was an American manufacturer of sailplanes, agricultural aircraft and helicopters located in Horseheads, New York. It was incorporated in 1939 by three Schweizer brothers (Paul, William, and Ernest), who buil ...
, with a sale of shares to Elmira Industries, local businessmen and soaring pilots.
Orders for 2-8s came in from a group of
Bell Aircraft
The Bell Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer, a builder of several types of fighter aircraft for World War II but most famous for the Bell X-1, the first supersonic aircraft, and for the development and production of man ...
employees, a youth group, a number of gliding schools, as well as several individuals.
The 2-8 received type certificate GTC 5 on 28 June 1940.
The type certificate is currently held by K & L Soaring of
Cayuta, New York
Cayuta is a city in Schuyler County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 508.
The City of Cayuta occupies the southeastern corner of the county and is northeast of Elmira. It is part of the Elmira Metropolitan Sta ...
. K & L Soaring now provides all parts and support for the Schweizer line of sailplanes.
Manufactured aircraft are known as SGS 2-8s while those assembled from factory kits are designated as SGS 2-8A.
The 2-8 has a welded
steel tube fuselage covered in aircraft fabric. The
aluminum
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...
wings feature assembly with self-tapping PK screws and very few rivets.
Operational history
![LNS-1 gliders USMC Parris Is towed 1942](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/LNS-1_gliders_USMC_Parris_Is_towed_1942.jpg)
In April 1941 the Schweizers were contacted by the
US Army Air Force
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
(USAAF). The USAAF, impressed by the
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
's use of gliders to capture the Belgian fortress of
Eben-Emael
Fort Eben-Emael (french: Fort d'Ében-Émael, ) is an inactive Belgian fortress located between Liège and Maastricht, on the Belgian-Dutch border, near the Albert Canal, outside the village of Ében-Émael. It was designed to defend Belgi ...
during the campaign of the previous summer, had decided to commence a glider pilot training program. The USAAF was in need of training gliders and the Schweizers offered the SGS 2-8 as the ideal aircraft for the role.
[Schweizer, Paul A: ''Wings Like Eagles, The Story of Soaring in the United States'', page 78. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1988. ]
On 10 August 1941 the AAF issued a statement on the procurement of the 2-8:
"What is probably a record in procurement was established in the case of the contract with the Schweizer Aircraft Corporation of Elmira New York. This contract, covering three two-place gliders to CAA Class 2 requirements, with certain modifications, was signed in Washington DC on June 27, 1941. The first glider under contract has its initial flight test July 2, at Big Flats Airport
Big Flats is a community (and former census-designated place, which is now part of Big Flats CDP as of the 2010 census) located in the Town of Big Flats in Chemung County, New York, United States. As of the 2018 census, the location had a total ...
, Elmira, New York and is now at Wright Field."
In the first part of 1942 Lieutenant General
William S. Knudsen of the War Production Board conducted an inspection of the Schweizer factory, still located on the second floor of the Elmira Knitting Mill. He looked at the antiquated plant and instructed the Schweizers to "get out of here". He was instrumental in the move of the 2-8 production line to a new plant built for Schweizer Aircraft by the Defense Plants Corporation at the soon-to-be completed
Chemung County Airport.
[Schweizer, Paul A: ''Wings Like Eagles, The Story of Soaring in the United States'', page 85. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1988. ]
The US Navy and Marine Corps also ordered the 2-8 as a glider trainer.
Because the 2-8 was made from aluminum and steel, which were both declared "
strategic materials", a replacement design was needed. The Schweizers designed the
SGS 2-12 as a wooden version of the 2-8, incorporating some improvements, such as a lower-mounted
cantilever
A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cant ...
wing to improve instructor visibility. The 2-12 succeeded the 2-8 in production and 114 were produced with the designation TG-3A.
Competitions and records
![Schweizer_TG-2_NC47575_Moriarty_NM_19](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Schweizer_TG-2_NC47575_Moriarty_NM_19.06.97R_AH.jpg)
Distance flying in the 2-8 is challenging, given its 23:1 glide ratio and red-line speed limit of just 72 mph (117 km/h). SGS 2-8s were flown in several US national competitions and held a number of records at one time.
Records held include a flight to goal from Elmira, New York to Washington, DC, a distance of 373 km (232 statute miles) flown by Bob Stanley and Ernie Schweizer.
Dick Johnson set a multi-place distance record of 499 km (310 statute miles) in a 2-8.
In May 2008 there were still 23 SGS 2-8s registered in the US along with one 2-8A.
Variants
;SGS 2-8
:The basic factory produced model was designated as the SGS 2-8.
;SGS 2-8A
:SGS 2-8s assembled from factory kits were accepted as certified aircraft and were designated as SGS 2-8A. They were otherwise identical to the 2-8.
;TG-2
:The production version of the 2-8 for the US Army Air Force was given the military designation of TG-2, indicating "Training Glider 2".
;TG-2A
:The designation of TG-2A was applied to previously produced civilian versions of the 2-8 that were conscripted into USAAF use. The military tracked down all 2-8s in the USA and bought them for military training from their civilian owners.
;LNS-1
:The production version constructed for the US Navy and US Marines was designated as the LNS-1.
Aircraft on display
![Air Zoo December 2019 074 (Schweizer LNS-1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Air_Zoo_December_2019_074_%28Schweizer_LNS-1%29.jpg)
There is a 2-8, N10VV, in the
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 ...
and three versions of the LNS-1, on loan to the
National Warplane Museum
The National Warplane Museum is a warbird and military history museum currently located on the grounds of the Geneseo Airport in Geneseo, New York. Founded in 1994, the museum restores, flies, and displays vintage military aircraft from the Seco ...
, the
Marine Corps Aviation Museum in
Quantico, Virginia
Quantico ( or ; formerly Potomac) is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 480 at the 2010 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, DC, bordered by the Potomac River to the east ...
and in the
National Museum of Naval Aviation
The National Naval Aviation Museum, formerly known as the National Museum of Naval Aviation and the Naval Aviation Museum, is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.
Founded in 1962 and moved to its curr ...
at
Pensacola, Florida.
Specifications
See also
References
External links
Detailed photos of the SGS 2-8 (US Marine LNS-1) in the NSM
{{USN glider aircraft
1930s United States sailplanes
Schweizer aircraft
Mid-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1938