Akaflieg Darmstadt is one of approximately twenty aviation groups attached to German universities. Akaflieg is an abbreviation for Akademische Fliegergruppe, an academic group of students and faculty from a German University.
Akaflieg history Otto Lilienthal published his book Der Vogelflug als Grundlage der Fliegekunst (Birdflight as the Basis of Aviation) in 1889, describing the basis of modern aerodynamics and aircraft construction. Lilienthal made many successful gliding flights from 1891 onwards. But the focus of attention shifted to powered flight after the Wright Brothers had demonstrated their Wright Flyer.
Gliding re-emerged as a sport after the war because the building of powered aircraft was restricted in Germany by the Treaty of Versailles. The main originator of the gliding movement was Oskar Ursinus, who in 1920 organised the first contest, known as the Rhön-Contest, on the Wasserkuppe. Held annually, students of technical universities brought gliders which they had developed and built themselves for testing at these contests, developing an esprit de corps known as Rhöngeist.
These informal beginnings stimulated the formation of groups of engineers at universities with the aim of scientific and practical education, with the first groups being formed, in 1920, at Aachen (Flugwissenschaftliche Vereinigung Aachen), Darmstadt (Akaflieg Darmstadt) and Berlin-Charlottenburg (Akaflieg Berlin), but others soon followed. Many of the first members had been pilots in the Luftstreitkräfte (Imperial German Air Service), but it was the love of flying rather than militarism or nationalism that motivated them, resulting in a fraternal spirit that has been maintained to this day.
During the Nazi period some Akafliegs retained their autonomy through the patronage of the Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt (DVL), a forerunner of the present-day German Aerospace Center (DLR). However, shortly before World War II the akafliegs were forced to integrate into the NS-Deutsche Studentenbund (Nazi-students-federation), with the Akaflieg projects having mostly military applications.
Present day After the war, the Akafliegs re-formed in 1951, co-ordinated by Interessengemeinschaft Deutscher Akademischer Fliegergruppen e.V. (Idaflieg – interest group for German academic flying groups), with ten groups formed by 2009.
The aim of the Akafliegs is scientific research into flight development, as well as design and construction of aeroplanes, especially gliders. Much of the practical work is done at the summer meetings of the 'Idaflieg' in co-operation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), while the results of the research are presented at the winter meetings. The 'Idaflieg' also offers many events and courses to its members such as the specification, design and certification of aeroplanes.
The quality of additional education provided by the Akafliegs is widely respected and so German glider manufacturers recruit almost exclusively from the Akafliegs. Once accepted as a member, students have to devote approximately 150 to 300-man-hours annually in the workshops to qualify for membership of the Akaflieg clubs, where the cost of flying is usually much lower than at other gliding/flying clubs.
American Universities have also implemented programs similar to the Akafliegs but based around the American style of teaching, Pennsylvania State University's AERSP 404H is one example of this implementation.
Akaflieg Darmstadt
The Akademische Fliegergruppe Darmstadt e.V. (Academic Aviator Group Darmstadt) is a group of students enrolled at Darmstadt University of Technology, who are involved with the development and the design of gliders, as well as research in aerodynamics. Since the group was formed in 1920 over forty in-house designs have been created, with the D-43 trainer and Soteira pilot escape system being the latest.
During research for and testing of new designs at Akaflieg Darmstadt the students get the opportunity to fly gliders in the Akaflieg fleet for recreation, as well as partake in the research flying programmes. Active members spend much of their free time in the workshop working towards reaching their academic goals.
Aircraft
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Akaflieg Darmstadt D-1. Designed by Eugen von Lössl. First flight 1920. Construction: Wood, Wire and Fabric. Span 12.2 m (40 ft), Wing area 24.5 m2 (264 sq ft), Empty wt. 70 kg (150 lb) No. of seats 1. 1 built. Single-seat Hang glider with a parasol monoplane wing and rectangular section aerofoil profiled fuselage. Bequeathed, unfinished, by Eugen von Lössl after his death on 9 August 1920 to Akaflieg Darmstadt, where it was completed. Flew in the 1921 and 1922 Rhön competitions. Originally intended for centre of gravity style control, wing warping was added after much discussion.
Akaflieg Darmstadt D-2 Pumpelmeise. Designed by E. Schatzki and F. Hoppe. First flight 1920. Construction: Wood, Wire and Fabric. Span 11 m (36 ft 1 in), Wing area 24.5 m2 (264 sq ft), Empty wt. 43 kg (95 lb) No. of seats 1. 1 built. Cantilever monoplane hang-glider with undercarriage skids, intended for the 1921 Rhön competitions but not flown there. The pilot was supported at the extreme nose of the fuselage which terminated at the wing leading edge.
Akaflieg Darmstadt D-3 Nolleputzchen. Designed by F. Nicolaus. First flight 1921. Construction: Wood, Plywood and Fabric. Aerofoil: Göttingen 441 10 m (32 ft 10 in), Wing area 16 m2 (170 sq ft), Empty wt. 43 kg (95 lb) No. of seats 1. 1 built. This shoulder-winged cantilever monoplane had a conventional cockpit forward of the wing centre section and dual main skids. Constructed from wood with fabric and plywood covering, the D-3 had moderately tapered trapezoidal wings attached to a square section fuselage that tapered to nose and tail from the wing attachments.
Akaflieg Darmstadt D-4 Edith. Designed by E. Thomas. First flight 1922. Construction: Wood, Plywood and Fabric. Aerofoil: Göttingen 426 12.6 m (41 ft 4 in), Wing area 18.8 m2 (202 sq ft), Empty wt. 110 kg (240 lb) No. of seats 1. 1 built. This single-seat strut braced parasol glider was used for training and is the direct precedent of the "Bremen". RRG Prüfling, RRG Falke and Grunau Baby
Akaflieg Darmstadt D-5 Flohschwanz. Designed by A.Botsch and W. Hübner. First flight 1922. Construction: Wood, Wire and Fabric 7.5 m (24 ft 7 in), Wing area 18 m2 (190 sq ft), Empty wt. 45 kg (99 lb) No. of seats 1. 1 built. This ultralight biplane glider was originally planned as a hang-glider but was completed with a cockpit nacelle and twin main skids.
Akaflieg Darmstadt D-6 Geheimrat. Designed by L. Hoffmann and F. Nicolaus. First flight 1922. Construction: Wood, Plywood and Fabric 12.1 m (39 ft 8 in), Wing area 14.8 m2 (159 sq ft), Empty wt. 98 kg (216 lb) No. of seats 1. 1 built. This cantilevered monoplane glider employed an innovative control system, with pitch controlled through altering the angle of attack of the mainplane. Roll was achieved through altering the area of the wingtips, the after portions of which hinged at the inner front corner, sliding in and out of the forward portion of the wingtips, to alter area and thus lift, raising or lowering the wingtips.
Akaflieg Darmstadt D-7 Margarete. Designed by E. Schatzki, R. Kercher and F. Hoppe. First flight 1923. Construction: Wood, Plywood and Fabric. Aerofoil: root Göttingen 533, tip symmetrical 15.3 m (50 ft 2 in), Wing area 22.5 m2 (242 sq ft), Empty wt. 200 kg (440 lb) No. of seats 2. 1 built. One of the first practical two-seaters, with a strut-braced high wing, and structure built from wood and fabric.
Akaflieg Darmstadt D-8 Karl der Grosse. Designed by K. Plauth. First flight 1923. Construction: Wood, Plywood and Fabric. Powered by 1 x 22 kW (30 hp). Aerofoil: Göttingen 426 14 m (45 ft 11 in), Wing area 17.9 m2 (193 sq ft), Empty wt. 270 kg (600 lb) No. of seats 2. 1 built. A two-seat motorglider with a strut braced high wing, tandem cockpits under the wing centre section, tractor engine installation in the fuselage nose and twin mainwheels either side of the fuselage.
Akaflieg Darmstadt D-9 Konsul. Designed by A. Botsch, R. Spies and F. Hoppe. First flight 1923. Construction: Wood, Plywood and Fabric. Aerofoil: Root Göttingen 535, Tip Symmetrical 18.2 m (59 ft 9 in), Wing area 21 m2 (230 sq ft), Empty wt. 200 kg (440 lb) No. of seats 1. built. This single-seat cantilever high winged glider illustrated the incremental progress in aerodynamic knowledge and construction techniques, using rounded sections and smooth skinning to reduce drag and improve performance. Weight reduction was also achieved by using a single main-skid, in what was to become the norm through to the 1940s when single wheeled undercarriages became the norm. The most impressive performance gain would have come from the (relatively) high aspect ratio long span wings, which at 18.2m were among the biggest up to that time. "The best glider of his time, which showed all the characteristics of today's gliders" (Brütting, 1972).
Akaflieg Darmstadt D-10 Hessen. Designed by A. Botsch, R. Spies and G. Loew. First flight 1923. Construction: Wood, Plywood and Fabric. Aerofoil: Göttingen 429, Göttingen 430, Göttingen 431 or Göttingen 432 11.1 m (36 ft 5 in), Wing area 13.2 m2 (142 sq ft), Empty wt. 76 kg (168 lb) No. of seats 1. 1 built. Built purely as a flying wind tunnel with a simple rhomboidal section fuselage sitting on a single main skid. The section of the D-10 wings could be altered in flight, but results were never satisfactory, not least due to high friction in the variable section control system.
Akaflieg Darmstadt D-11 Mohamed. Designed by D. v. Massenbach and F. Hoppe. First flight 1924. Construction: Wood, Plywood and Fabric. Powered by 1x 20 hp (15 kW)Blackburne Tomtit with metal propeller. Aerofoil: Joukowski 10.74 m (35 ft 3 in), Wing area 12 m2 (130 sq ft), Empty wt. 170 kg (370 lb) No. of seats 1. 1 built. "A cantilever low-winged ultralight aircraft with narrow track trousered fixed undercarriage, smooth plywood skinned fuselage and an all flying tailplane for pitch control. The D-11 Mohamed generated some interest when taking part in the 1924 Rhön-Leichtflugzeug-Wettbewerb (1924 Rhön light aircraft competition). "
Akaflieg Darmstadt D-12 Roemryke Berge. Designed by E. Schatzki. First flight 1924. Construction: Wood, Plywood and Fabric 16 m (52 ft 6 in), Wing area 17.5 m2 (188 sq ft), Empty wt. 144 kg (317 lb) No. of seats 1. 1 built. The D-12 was built as a medium performance glider using the new construction techniques to minimise drag. Full span flaps and ailerons were also used as well as all-flying horizontal and vertical tails. Nehring completed the first successful out and return with this aircraft in 1926, flying from Darmstadt to Misleburg and back.
Akaflieg Darmstadt D-13 Mohamed II. Designed by P. Laubenthal and G. Riedenbach. First flight 1926. Powered by 22 kW (30 hp) Blackburne Thrush. Aerofoil: Joukowski 10.7 m (35 ft 1 in), Wing area 12 m2 (130 sq ft), Empty wt. 170 kg (370 lb) No. of seats 1. 1 built. This single-seat lightweight aircraft, powered by a Blackburne engine, was intended for aerobatics, but with no improvement over the D-11 Mohamed plans for a small production run were abandoned.
Akaflieg Darmstadt D-14. Designed by H. Koch and R. Preuschen. First flight 1927. Powered by 30 kW (40 hp) ABC Scorpion, MkII. Aerofoil: Joukowski, Lachmann 9 m (29 ft 6 in), Wing area 14 m2 (150 sq ft), Empty wt. 220 kg (490 lb) No. of seats 2. 1 built. This two-seat low-wing monoplane won 1st prize in the Idaflieg and Röhn-Rossitten-Gesellschaft construction competitions.
Akaflieg Darmstadt D-15 Westpreussen. Designed by H.Hofmann. First flight 1926. Aerofoil: Göttingen 535 and/or Göttingen 430/Göttingen431 14.5 m (47 ft 7 in), Wing area 16 m2 (170 sq ft), Empty wt. 120 kg (260 lb) No. of seats 1. 1 built.