The Schneider DFS 108-14 SG-38 ''Schulgleiter'' () is a German

high-wing A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

, cable-braced, 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 ...

that was designed by Schneider, Rehberg and Hofmann at Edmund Schneider's factory at Grunau in 1938, hence the designation. It was produced by several builders, including

Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug The ''Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug'' (), or DFS , was formed in 1933 to centralise all gliding activity in Germany, under the directorship of Professor Walter Georgii. It was formed by the nationalisation of the Rhön-Rossitten G ...

(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 Bungee cords equipped with metal hooks A bungee cord (sometimes spelled bungle; also known as a shock cord) is an elastic cord composed of one or more elastic strands forming a core, usually covered in a woven cotton or polypropylene sheath. The ...

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 A king post (or king-post or kingpost) is a central vertical post used in architectural or bridge designs, working in tension to support a beam below from a truss apex above (whereas a crown post, though visually similar, supports items above fro ...

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 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 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 ...

in the

Second World War 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 opposin ...

, 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 Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is a ...

on the slopes of 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 peri ...

. From 1949 to 1951 Spain's AISA produced 50 licence-built aircraft. In the UK,

Elliotts of Newbury Elliotts of Newbury was a British company that became well known for manufacturing gliders. Beginnings and World War II The company was founded by Samuel Elliott in 1870 as a joinery works, Elliott's Moulding and Joinery Company Ltd. It produc ...

built a copy of the SG.38 called the

Elliotts Primary EoN The Elliots Primary EoN or EoN Type 7 S.G.38 Primary was a training glider built in the UK shortly after World War II. It was an absolutely minimalist aircraft, consisting of a high, cable-braced wing connected to a conventional empennage by a ...

; its version first flown in 1948 and used by the RAF as the Eton TX.1.

Aircraft on display

Danmarks Flymuseum The Danmarks Flymuseum is a museum located at Stauning Airport in Stauning, Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , su ...

, Stauning Vestjylland Airport,

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

Deutsches Museum The Deutsches Museum (''German Museum'', officially (English: ''German Museum of Masterpieces of Science and Technology'')) in Munich, Germany, is the world's largest museum of science and technology, with about 28,000 exhibited objects from ...

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

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 ...

* Museo del Aire,

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Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

* Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace,

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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 ...

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National Museum of the United States Air Force The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the ...

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

, USA *

Shuttleworth Collection The Shuttleworth Collection is a working aeronautical and automotive collection located at the Old Warden Aerodrome, Old Warden in Bedfordshire, England. It is the oldest in the world and one of the most prestigious, due to the variety of old a ...

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England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

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

References

{{Swedish military aircraft designations 1930s German sailplanes SG 38 Schulgleiter Articles containing video clips Aircraft first flown in 1938 Glider aircraft High-wing aircraft Edmund Schneider aircraft