VGC News/Newsletters - Lakes Gliding Club

The following old gliders in Switzerland are not yet in the
OSV.
Spalinger S.22. This is an 18 metre span S.18 and must have
a performance comparable with that of a Weihe. It was airworthy
at Thun in 1979. Registration is HB-366.
Spalinger S.25 S. S means a steel tube. fabric covered fuselage.
Both of the above are at Niederbipp. and at least the S.22 was
airworthy.
Weihe HB-556.
Hutter H.28-2 HB-223. It is in a collection at Bleienbach and
is still in good condition. It was built during 1937/38 in
Switzerland. The second Swiss built H.28-2 was built in 1941.
It went to Rhod'esia after the war. where an unexperienced
glider pilot flew it fOund a 300 km triangle. Its Swiss registration
was HB-32I. It is now said to be in South Africa and is
registered ZS-GCS. The above information has come from the
superb second edition of "Deutsche Flugzeuge bis 1945" by
Peter W.Cohausz. It mentions the histories etc and whereabouts
now of 2.500 historic German aircraft. Printed by
Aviatik Verlag.
Still in good condition.
Meise HB-384.
Moswey 2 Prototype 1936. Tommy Aebersold. This machine
is not strong enough for today's standards but could it be made
stronger by modification
EIfe HB-278 and Elfe HB-402. These are the first two Or
Pfenniger Elfes. They were built during 1939-40. They are in
most cases very much lighter than the pilots who would fly
them. Although they are both in good condition, the present
day towplanes are too fast for them. The Swiss Air Office does
not wish to give them Certificates of Airworthiness.
The very old RHONBUSSARD HB-Il3 is stored in
Wildau but it is in very bad condition.Where are the Swiss
Karpf Zoglings HB-362 (33), HB-190. HB-461 We hope that
some of these very special Swiss old gliders can be brought
into the OSV's fleet.
In a letter from Daniel Steffen dated I st January 1999 he
wishes to give more exact information concerning S-15K,
than that which was in VGC News No.93 on Page 20 and
VGC News No.95. on page 13. In his opinion the "K" does
not stand for 'Kunstflug' (aerobatic) but for 'Knick' (gull
wing). However "I do understand your guess because there
existed an aerobatic version of the S-18-2, which was called
S-18K. (The Wing was strengthened and the span was reduced
from 14,3 m. to U.7 m.) and there, it is obvious that the "K"
stands for 'Kunstflug..•. "I am not a Jakob Spalinger specialist
(like for example Frederic Fischer), but I learnt from books
that Jakob Spalinger used straight wings for his earlier designs
(from S-I up to S-I5c) and (with the exceptions of, for
example, the S-20 and S-23) gull wings for his later designs.
Today, we believe that the gull wing is a typical characteristic
of the Spalinger glider. because only the later Spalinger
designs (as S-16. S-18, S-19, S-21, S-22 and S-25) are alive.
Spalinger designed the single seater trainer S-15 during the
winter time of 1929/30 with two different wings. The S-15a
with a wingspan of II m. and the S-15b with a wingspan of 14
m. The construction of the S-15a (Austria 2) was started in
1930 but was never finished. At least two S-15b were constructed
and their first flights took place on 24 12.1933 (HB­
82) and on 8 2.1935 (HB-167).
The S-15c was a completely new design with a wingspan
of 16.5 m. Jakob Spalinger constructed (with the help of his
wife and F. Vlasak) an example (HB-24) for his personal use.
Its first flight was realized on 28.5.1932. Jakob Spalinger
named his glider "MILAN" and managed systematically
thermal flights with it. Jakob Spalinger was airborne on 5.6.33
in his S-15c "Milan" for 3 hours 7 secs. which was a Swiss
Single seater duration record at that time."
"The S-15k was designed by Spalinger in 1934 and it
became the most popular training glider in Switzerland. Fritz
Glur (from the Gliding Club Olten - like me) constructed the
first (I am not 100% sure that it was the first) S-15k (HB-150)
and,was able to achieve with this glider a Swiss Duration
flight record of 16 hours 20 ruins.on 26.8.36.
It is really funny that Jakob Spalinger gave four completely
different gliders the same name S-15 (S-15a, S-15b, S-15c.and
S-15k). By the way. it was also Fritz Glur who later constructed
the first S-19. HB-225. which is now owned by 'Fips'
(alias Hans) Rothenbiihler. The first flight of HB-225 took
place on 8.8.1937. Fritz Glur made with this glider on the
12th-13th March 1938. a flight of 28 hours 6 mins. which was
another Swiss duration record.
You wrote in the VGC News No 92 that, besides OO-ZIW,
only one other S-15k is known to be stored. This is not correct.
From the list of gliders in the Oldtimer Segelflugvereinigung
Schweiz, one discovers that there is at least a third S-15k
existing, in the hands of Fritz Fahrni. However, this glider
(HB-327) is not airworthy and needs restoration. Therefore I
was very happy to learn that one day the Belgian S-15k will
fly again, and please tell Johan Kieckens that he is not to do
aerobatics with it as it was not designed for this type of
flying!.
I have planned to visit with my family (first priority) and
my S-18-3 (second priority) the 27th International Vintage
Glider Rally at Aventoft and I hope we shall meet again there.
Kind regards.
Daniel."
Obituaries
PETER ERNST RIEDEL
Peter was born in Halle in 1905. the son of a Lutheran
Minister.
Before World War I. Peter had become inspired with flying
when he heard the engine of Helmuth Hirth's aeroplane. when
he took off for his record flight to Vienna. Helmuth was the
older brother of Wolf Hirth and was Germany's best powerpilot
before WW I. It was he who founded the firm which built
the excellent Hirth aero engines.
In 1919. Peter at the age of 13 had constructed his first
glider which he rather soon broke. In 1920. he arrived on the
Wasserkuppe for the First Rhon Contest with his second glider
and was taught to fly it with men hanging on to ropes from the
wing tips and his instructor running in front. also holding a
rope attached to its nose, telling him what to do! Peter later
constructed a replica of this aircraft in time for our 2nd International
Rally in 1974 on the Wasserkuppe. This replica
known as the PR-2 Rhonbaby has for years been on exhibition
in the Frankfurt am Maine Airport terminal. By 1924. he had
built his PR-4. In 1932, his sister Beate was killed in a car
accident with Gronhof driving. She was a fine sports woman
and flew gliders (such as the Falke and Rhongeist). Afterwards,
Gronhof lost his will to live.
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