Down Memory Lane - From the Log Books #12

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(Pre War Single Seaters (Part 3)

 

 

(Note: To make more sense of the bewildering series of type names, which are only a few of what was there, I strongly recommend reading Martin Simons book “The Worlds Vintage Sailplanes 1908-1945â€. This is packed with original photos, three view drawings , technical data and historical insights that Martin writes so well. It is a truly awesome work that will leave modern glider pilots with their jaws sagging!)

 

 

The prime object of this part in the series is to start looking how the technology of the ‘super gull’ hot ships began being translated into more practical commercial designs for volume production and then began to form the basis for standardised competition classes.

 

 

But before going there let us round off the contribution made by the occupying allied forces in Germany and the consequent ‘rescue’ of what we still have today – or one may say more accurately – preserving what little was left by flying them until the world recovered sufficiently for collectors to become seriously involved.

 

 

As stated earlier in the series the common types were the Kranich two seater and the copious supply of various models of Grunau Baby single seaters. These became ready made gliding clubs and a staged progression to increased performance models was possible by the ‘liberated’ super ships and more high performance gliders such as the Weihe and Meise (of which more in the next article).

 

 

But a number of the ‘classics’ also survived in the hands of the armed forces clubs. I know personally of the following and there were undoubtably a lot more:

 

 

Minimoa – at least two examples.

 

Rhonsperber – at least one example

 

Rhonbussard – at least three examples.

 

Rhineland – one example.

 

Mu17 – at least two examples.

 

Horten 4 – one example plus captured models for military scientific examination.

 

Reiher – one example.

 

 

We will take a look at them very briefly with the exception of the Minimoa that has already been covered in this series.

 

 

Rhonsperber.

 

 

A cantilever mid wing of between 15.2 and 16 meters span. with the traditional main skid and lack of mainwheel – the Rhonsperber came in a variety of forms and was built in numbers reaching about 100.

 

 

In appearance it most resembled a single seat Kranich, having the deep fuselage with the canopy perched on top. Like the Kranich the wings had a light gull profile that interestingly became more cranked into deeper gull platforms as the design progressed rather than the wing becoming straight as would become the increasing trend.

 

 

The Rhonsperber was one of the world’s first gliders designed for affordable series production and was very successful.

 

 

Rhonbussard.

 

 

This was the predecessor to the Rhonsperber and a bit smaller at 14.2 metre span, but was aimed at the same purpose – filling the gap between the trainers and early single seaters in club use and the more demanding ‘super ships’. As a club machine it had a deliberately large cockpit for a relatively small glider and I had no difficulty getting in one at 6’ tall. But like most of the very early 1930 types it was Spartan and uncomfortable with bolt upright seating.

 

 

The machine was viceless to fly and aerotow and would have been superb for its task. With glide angles in the low 20s but a low sink rate, it was optimised for ridge soaring so also thermal soared well if you did not want to go anywhere in any big hurry.

 

 

General flying, stalling and circuit work were docile and the glider was undemanding on approach control and landing.

 

 

Rhineland.

 

 

The Rhineland can claim to be one of the gull winged classics and only one survived in airworthy condition – lingering for several years in RAF Germany clubs until it was crashed. The crash seems not to have resulted in writing the glider off to destruction level, but damage was significant enough to be beyond local resources and skills to repair. Later on the glider remains were bought, taken back to UK and a full rebuild was conducted.

 

 

The Rhineland was a high mid wing gull of 16 metre span that was elegantly (if not extremely) cranked and had a slender rear fuselage. From photos the sailplane looks bigger than it actually is – an impression that is given by the relatively large cockpit and nose area. Martin Simons reports that the cockpit was quite cramped – but then again most of the super ships of that era were!

 

 

At restoration a full rebuild of the complicated canopy was not undertaken so the full aerodynamics were not preserved even if the overall lines of the glider were.

 

 

I never caught up with it but very much wanted to as I had missed it in Germany. Apparently it’s worse shortcoming was a wing angle of incidence hassle that made it a bitch of a thing to land and required the fitting of a retractable undercarriage to get the nose high enough on the round out

 

Mu 17.

 

 

It is highly probable that the two alleged surviving Mu17s were in fact Mu13 D/3s as only two ‘17s were built by the Munich Akaflieg.

 

 

Whatever the type the real importance was they were to become springboards for part of post war Germany’s gliding manufacturing base in the shape of the Scheibe factory. The single seaters were the founders of the successful Spatz series (of which more in later parts of this series) while the two seat Mu13E became the founder of the Bergfalke two seater line (which has already been covered).

 

 

Horten 4.

 

 

This is an interesting little story that does tie up a few points in terms of post war peace time gliding. In researching some parts of this series I studied an account from Flight International magazine (11th June 1954) where I obtained data on some of what 2nd TAF were flying in the way of club gliders. In the article was a photo and short account of a Horten 4 flying wing glider.

 

 

Now, any of the Horten tailess gliders are ultra exotic. In fact a number were built in several models (one ultimately reaching 33 metres in wing span). They started in the early 1930s and did well in competition. By the end of the war they had been developed into twin jet fighter bombers that were nudging at the sound barrier! Anything ‘Horten’ was very much wanted by the allied military at the end of the war. Google search Horten gliders and take a look at them to save me writing here!

 

 

This Mk 4 was interesting however. It was living in a loft at Scharfoldendorf in 1954 where it had evidently been stored and then re-discovered. A joint Anglo/German effort was being made (at just club level) to restore it. That was good to know about because wounds were healing and life was going on.

 

 

I do not know what became of it. One Horten 4 has been restored and is flying and there is a centre section of one in the Wasserkuppe museum. I would appreciate any further information.

 

 

Significantly though – survival of types did not just depend on the allied military. A lot were squirreled away in German lofts and barns to emerge in later years and add to the restored fleet of heritage sailplanes.

 

 

Reiher.

 

 

Of all the gliders that I have definitely wanted to fly most the Reiher has the box position and I have never even seen one in the flesh – but they have a place in this account of mine.

 

 

The Reiher is acknowledged as the most beautiful of the gull winged super ships and was also extremely technically advanced. So much are they are held in awe that over recent years another Reiher has been scratch built and is now flying in Germany. This was not a replica but another Reiher built from original plans as the originals were.

 

 

Allegedly only one Reiher made it through the war years and was taken to UK. It was stored in the open, became soaking wet, was past retrieval and was destroyed. But was that the last?

 

 

The Wassekuppe museum has a complete one on display (non flying) and then the ‘new build’ one as well.

 

 

The Reiher had camber changing flaps and flapperons via interconnect ailerons. Back in 1937 it had a measured glide angle of 33.1. That does not seem like much today but small wonder it was so famous and won such important competitions.

 

 

Technical Round Up.

 

 

This may be a bit of an education for some of you pundits and modern pilots sauntering with me down memory lane. It may give you a surprise.

 

 

There was very little in modern gliding that had not already been tried by mid 1930s gliding!

 

 

Laminar flow was understood and experimented with; reflex flaps; flapperons; trailing edge airbrakes; Minimoas flew with water ballast several types were converted to self launching motor gliders, retracting undercarriages – there was not a lot that they did not try and make work!

 

 

Next.

 

 

I am slightly losing control of this series! I am going to stop here and get on with the UK Gulls and more of the transition types next time.