The Glasflügel 303 Mosquito is a

composite Composite or compositing may refer to: Materials * Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances ** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts ** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic material ...

15 metre Class single-seat

sailplane A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the leisure activity and sport of gliding (also called soaring). This unpowered aircraft can use naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to gain altitude. Sailplan ...

manufactured by Glasflügel between 1976 and 1980.

Design and development

Designed for the 15 metre racing class, the Mosquito married the Standard Class

Hornet Hornets (insects in the genus ''Vespa'') are the largest of the Eusociality, eusocial wasps, and are similar in appearance to yellowjackets, their close relatives. Some species can reach up to in length. They are distinguished from other Vespi ...

fuselage with a flapped wing employing the then widely-used FX 67-K-170 airfoil developed at the

University of Stuttgart The University of Stuttgart () is a research university located in Stuttgart, Germany. It was founded in 1829 and is organized into 10 faculties. It is one of the oldest technical universities in Germany with programs in civil, mechanical, ind ...

by Professor Franz Wortmann. The Mosquito had a new design of one-piece canopy rather than the two-piece canopy used on the Hornet. This profile and its sister profile FX 67-K-150 are among the most prolific in the history of gliding, as they were employed also in the Nimbus-2, Mini-Nimbus, DG-200 and DG-400, PIK-20,

Kestrel The term kestrel (from , derivative from , i.e. ratchet) is the common name given to several species of predatory birds from the falcon genus ''Falco''. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover ...

, Mosquito,

Vega Vega is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Lyra. It has the Bayer designation α Lyrae, which is Latinised to Alpha Lyrae and abbreviated Alpha Lyr or α Lyr. This star is relatively close at only from the Sun, and ...

, Jantar and LAK-12 among other types. The 303 wing featured innovative interconnected trailing edge dive brakes-variable camber flaps. The glider had automatic connection for all controls: ailerons, elevator, air brakes and water ballast. The Mosquito also uses a pneumatic tail wheel rather than a skid. It was available with a tow release in both the nose and near the centre of gravity; in-flight adjustable rudder pedals and seat back. A lever bar to aid in assembly was also employed. A larger than common retractable main wheel with drum brake is also a nice feature, however the brake lever located in the seat pan behind the joy stick is slightly inconvenient. This main wheel brake lever was deleted in favor of rudder pedal heel brake actuation in the B model.Glasflugel Mosquito Serial #70 manual & Glasflugel Mosquito B serial #120 manual. The maiden flight of the Mosquito took place in 1976. It is by all accounts a nice-handling, comfortable and pleasing aircraft, but a little less performing than the contemporaneous

Rolladen-Schneider LS3 The Rolladen-Schneider LS3 is a 15 metre single-seat glider produced by Rolladen-Schneider from 1976 to 1983. Development and design The LS3 was developed as Rolladen-Schneider's first entry to the new 15-metre competition class created in ...

and ASW 20. Therefore, the Mosquito (and the Schempp-Hirth Mini-Nimbus that shares the same wing) did not do well in top-level competition, neither did it find the large commercial success of the Libelle. The Mosquito was superseded in 1980 by the Glasflügel 304.

Aircraft on display

US Southwest Soaring Museum The US Southwest Soaring Museum is an aviation museum, located at 918 E US Route 66, in Moriarty, New Mexico, United States that focuses on the history of gliding in the western United States. The museum is an affiliate member of the Soaring Soci ...

Specifications

References

Citations

Bibliography

*Thomas F, Fundamentals of Sailplane Design, College Park Press, 1999 *Simons M, Segelflugzeuge 1965-2000, Eqip, 2004 Glasflugel Mosquito serial number 70 flight manual

External links

Johnson R, A Flight Test Evaluation of the Mosquito, Soaring, August 1979
{{DEFAULTSORT:Glasflugel 303 1970s German sailplanes Glasflügel aircraft T-tail aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1976