Down Memory Lane - From the Log Books #1

[Guest TOSGcentral]

Leading on from the thread “Lets get this show on the roadâ€, plus comments made about people wanting to know more about glider types, I decided to start a string of threads (as time permits) on gliders and motor gliders that I have experience on.

 

 

Some of these I only had a sampling flight on, others I instructed in for hundreds of hours. The comments will be short and maybe interesting as well as hopefully entertaining.

 

 

I will kick off with pre WW2 and immediately post war two seater types. My experience is such that the pre war gliders and early gliders were still available, I was most active in mid generation types and was pulling out of gliding as the more exotic glass machines had just been introduced. So many types you will not even have heard of.

 

 

Kranich 1 & 2.

 

 

This was a massive, two seat tandem seating all wood and fabric glider dating from the time the pre-war Luftwaffe were beginning to train up new aircrew. Many of the Luftwaffe pilots were trained in Kranichs and then converted to the single seat Grunau Baby 2 to build up flight time. Production continued well into the war.

 

 

The prime difference between the Mk1 and Mk2 was that the first version had no mainwheel thus used a double dolly wheel of formidable size so that it could be moved around on the ground and take off with reasonable decorum. Care had to be taken when jettisoning the dolly after take off as they could bounce a great height and hit the aircraft – or go a fair distance and start destroying property and persons! Presumably after suitable amounts of excitement, the Mk2 came out with a conventional single fixed mainwheel and some were further modified to take Schemmp Hirth airbrake systems to replace the spoiler system.

 

 

The one I had contact with was a Mk1 with the Mk2 wheel conversion but still retained the original spoiler approach control.

 

 

The Kranich 1 & 2 were all wood and fabric gliders with a broad, mid wing containing a graceful gull joint. This was not too extreme compared with say the Minimoa that had heavily cranked gull wings that rise so far above you that they impair sideways vision when flying them.

 

 

The tandem cockpits were well separated and fully enclosed with a several piece hood of small Perspex panels reminiscent of the Messerschmitt Bf 110. I preferred flying with the rear cockpit hood completely off as there was little draft and I was brought up on open cockpits.

 

 

Getting in the Kranich, and how this grabbed you, depended entirely on whether you were the student or instructor. The student sat in the front and it was a less than elegant climb to get in. In comparison the instructor had a small step up onto the wing trailing edge, walk up the wing root and settle gracefully into the rear seat with little exertion (I liked that bit). I never flew one from the front seat but both cockpits were comfortable and there was plenty of room inside.

 

 

Once seated in the rear cockpit the forward view was not too bad if you could ignore the ‘tunnel vision’ type situation. You felt that you needed a telephone to talk to the student but in fact conversation between the two cockpits was quite normal without raised voices.

 

 

The types do not have swept forward wings so the instructor is sitting right on the centre of gravity and indeed the wing main spar. Side and upper view was good, there was limited forward & downward vision. There was no downward side vision at all as you were surrounded by two dance floor sized wing expanses that you were sitting in the middle of at shoulder height. Rear and rear down vision was OK particularly with the rear hood off so you could lean out for a bo-peep.

 

 

Aerotow or winch launch were a doddle with the gull wings giving huge stability to the machine. The machine had no great speed range but ‘felt’ like an aircraft. Glide angle was not brilliant but sink rate was very acceptable. The stall was benign but the machine would spin if provoked. The spoilers gave adequate approach control but this had to be managed! It really was a superb trainer for the purpose it was designed for!

 

 

Actually handling the Kranich was a surprise. So large and hardly graceful in appearance on the ground, you felt as if you needed to do a few push ups before taking it on!

 

 

But in fact it was so light in the air. There was almost a perfect match between the gull wing stability and the huge ailerons overcoming this for control. The rudder was most effective and pitch control was neither light nor heavy – just very sure. I really loved flying her.

 

 

I actually owned a Mk1! I bought one when I lived in Germany. I had paid the money and the morning that I arrived to pick her up I found that she had been broken up with fire axes. Nothing could be done after those intricate wing gull joints had been chopped up! I had already lined up a guy in Cologne who had built Kranichs during the war and together we were going to do a full restoration. Instead I was given my money back so I found a Minimoa and did something with that instead. But the Kranich remained in a special place in my heart so I was pleased to eventually catch up with one for a time.

 

 

Goevier.

 

 

This is another German built two seater along traditional pre-war lines,with slightly staggered side by side seating. It needs this seating mode because it is not very big in any area – short wing span for a trainer at less than 15 mtrs, cramped in the cockpit etc. and a consequent glide angle of 1:20

 

 

Some internal alleviation is provided as the wing roots have been moulded into the cockpit sides to give some additional elbow room.

 

 

For a pre war design styled, modestly gull winged, glider I found it a bit of a lead sled! It worked well enough and you could have certainly trained in it – as they did. Visibility from it was adequate to good and control, although heavy, was certain enough. The glider was adequate for its time and purpose.

 

 

To be honest, I guess that my viewpoint was tainted by my own personal perspectives. I had flown several really classic gliders by then and may have been expecting too much of the Goevier. No matter the history, each age has to have its own workhorses and the Goevier was a workhorse. It lacked the essential charisma and ambience of others of its era that made a different stance.

 

 

Still, I am pleased to have had experience of the type – all of us need balanced viewpoints in what we do and all of us cannot afford what were to become classics. In fact aircraft may have done more in practical terms to actually get people hands on into the air than the more famous types that may have been inspirational but were ever out of reach

 

 

 

OK that is the first offering. I you want more then I will write them when I am able – but be warned there are over 40 two seaters alone!

 

 

Aye

 

 

Tony

 

 

[MrH]

Bring them on:keen:

 

H

 

 

[nathan_c]

Very nice! Looking forward to hearing more

 

 

[Tomo]

You know Tony, you should write a book about all this stuff...

 

I just love reading all your very interesting and informative posts. Great work:thumb_up: keep it up....