The firm Glasflügel () was founded by Eugen Hänle in 1962 and was located in
Schlattstall, south of
Kirchheim unter Teck
Kirchheim unter Teck (, ; Swabian German, Swabian: ''Kircha'') is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, in the Esslingen (district), district of Esslingen. It is located on the small river Lauter (Neckar), Lauter, a tributary of the Neckar. It i ...
. It was the first firm to manufacture a glass-fibre sailplane in large numbers. It was also responsible for a large number of innovations in sailplane design and technology: quick assembly systems for wings and tailplane, automatic control connections, trailing edge
airbrake-
flap combinations, hinged instrument panels, the parallelogram control stick and automatic trimming are some innovations introduced by Glasflügel and later adopted by other manufacturers. Some of these are standard features in nearly all gliders produced today.
Glasflügel encountered financial difficulties in the 1970s which led to a co-operation with the firm
Schempp-Hirth starting from May 1975. The death of Eugen Hänle in a flight accident on September 21 of the same year further aggravated the company's position, and after further changes in ownership in 1979, it was finally dissolved in 1982.
Products
The following glider types were manufactured by Glasflügel:
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Glasflügel BS-1
The Glasflügel BS-1, sometimes called the Björn Stender BS-1 or the Stender BS-1, is a West German, high-wing, single seat, T-tailed, FAI Open Class glider that was designed by Björn Stender and produced by Glasflügel.Said, Bob: ''198 ...
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Glasflügel H-30 GFK
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Glasflügel H-101 Salto
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Glasflügel H-201 Standard-Libelle
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Glasflügel H-301 Libelle
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Glasflügel 202 Standard-Libelle
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Glasflügel 203 Standard-Libelle
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Glasflügel 204 Standard-Libelle
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Glasflügel 205 Club Libelle
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Glasflügel 206 Hornet
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Glasflügel Hornet C
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Glasflügel 303 Mosquito
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Glasflügel 304
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Glasflügel 401 Kestrel
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Glasflügel 402
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Glasflügel 604
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Hansjörg Streifeneder Falcon
The projected Glasflügel 701 and 704 side-by-side two-seaters did not materialise due to the demise of the company.
Licensed production
The British company
Slingsby Aviation
Slingsby Aviation was a British aircraft manufacturer based in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, England. The company was founded to design and build glider (sailplane), gliders and sailplanes. From the early 1930s to around 1970 it built over 5 ...
built the Kestrel under license as the
Slingsby T-59
The Slingsby T.59 Kestrel is a British Open class glider which first flew in August 1970. Of fibreglass construction, it features camber-changing flaps, airbrakes, and a retractable main wheel.
Originally a licensed-built version of the G ...
. Slingsby later developed the
Slingsby Vega
The Vickers-Slingsby T-65 Vega is a 15-metre class class glider which first flew on 3 June 1977. Of fibreglass construction, it features linked camber-changing flaps and airbrakes, and a retractable main and tailwheel.
A simplified versi ...
, a family of 15-metre span gliders heavily influenced by its previous experience with Glasflügel designs.
See also
References
Website of Hanjörg Streifeneder Glasfaser Flugzeugbau GmbH
{{DEFAULTSORT:Glasflugel
Defunct aircraft manufacturers of Germany
Companies based in Baden-Württemberg
Glider manufacturers