Glasflügel
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1962 |
| Defunct | 1982 |
| Fate | Ceased operations |
| Headquarters | Kirchheim unter Teck, Germany |
Key people | Eugen Hänle, founder and chief aircraft designer |
| Products | Sailplanes |
Established in 1962 by Eugen Hänle, Glasflügel (meaning German: glass wings) operated from Schlattstall, situated just south of Kirchheim unter Teck. It was a pioneer in producing glass-fibre sailplanes on a mass scale. The company introduced numerous advancements in sailplane engineering and technology, including rapid wing and tailplane assembly mechanisms, automatic control linkages, combined trailing edge airbrake-flap systems, hinged instrument panels, the parallelogram-style control stick, and self-adjusting trim controls. Many of these features have since become standard equipment in virtually all modern gliders.
During the 1970s, Glasflügel faced financial challenges that led to a collaboration with Schempp-Hirth beginning in May 1975. The situation worsened following the fatal flight accident that claimed Eugen Hänle’s life on September 21 of the same year. After undergoing several ownership transitions in 1979, the company ultimately ceased operations in 1982.
Products
Glasflügel produced the following sailplane models:
- Glasflügel BS-1
- Glasflügel H-30 GFK
- Glasflügel H-101 Salto
- Glasflügel H-201 Standard-Libelle
- Glasflügel H-301 Libelle
- Glasflügel 202 Standard-Libelle
- Glasflügel 203 Standard-Libelle
- Glasflügel 204 Standard-Libelle
- Glasflügel 205 Club Libelle
- Glasflügel 206 Hornet
- Glasflügel Hornet C
- Glasflügel 303 Mosquito
- Glasflügel 304
- Glasflügel 401 Kestrel
- Glasflügel 402
- Glasflügel 604
- Hansjörg Streifeneder Falcon
Plans for the Glasflügel 701 and 704 side-by-side two-seat gliders were never realized due to the company's closure.
Licensed production
The British manufacturer Slingsby Aviation produced the Kestrel model under license as the Slingsby T-59. Building on its experience with Glasflügel designs, Slingsby subsequently developed the Slingsby Vega, a series of gliders with a 15-metre wingspan.