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The Akaflieg Stuttgart fs24, nicknamed ''Phönix'' (German: " Phoenix"), was a glider designed and built in
Akaflieg Stuttgart website
{{MBB aircraft 1950s German sailplanes Mid-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1957 Glider aircraft Akaflieg Stuttgart aircraft
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
from 1951.
Design and development
The fs24 was the first glider to usefibreglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass c ...
in its construction. The development of modern aerofoil sections for gliders required very accurate reproduction with smooth surfaces, using tolerances that were extremely difficult to achieve using conventional wood or metal construction, but could be achieved by using composite materials laid up in a mould.
The design of the fs24 was started at Akaflieg Stuttgart, (''Akademische Fliegergruppe'' - academic flying group), by Richard Eppler and Hermann Nägele in 1951. Originally it was constructed of balsa
''Ochroma pyramidale'', commonly known as balsa, is a large, fast-growing tree native to the Americas. It is the sole member of the genus ''Ochroma'', and is classified in the subfamily Bombacoideae of the mallow family Malvaceae. The tree is fa ...
wood with a strengthened outer layer of paper and glue layers, which proved unsatisfactory. The project was abandoned until a grant for further research was received from the state of Baden-Württemberg. By then glass fibre reinforced polyester resin was available and so it was redesigned using a balsa wood/glass fibre sandwich, with the load-bearing points and the edge of the cockpit canopy strengthened with plywood.
The first flight was made on 27 November 1957, and good performance and excellent handling were demonstrated, especially in weak thermal conditions. The prototype had a conventional tail unit and a bumper instead of a conventional undercarriage. Airbrakes were fitted on the underside of the wing trailing edges.
Bölkow
Bölkow was a West German aircraft manufacturer based in Stuttgart, Germany, and later Ottobrunn.
History
The company was founded in 1948 by Ludwig Bölkow, who since 1955 with Emil Weiland had developed helicopters for Bölkow Entwicklungen KG. ...
built eight fs24s, designated Phönix T, differing in the use of a T-tail
A T-tail is an empennage wikt:configuration, configuration in which the tailplane of an aircraft is mounted to the top of the vertical stabilizer, fin. The arrangement looks like the capital letter T, hence the name. The T-tail differs fr ...
and retractable undercarriage.
Variants
;fs24 Phönix :16m sailplane certified in January 1959 and manufactured by Akademische Fliegergruppe Stuttgart ;fs24 Phönix TO :16m sailplane with a T-tail certified in May 1960 and manufactured by Apparatebau Nabern. ;fs24 Phönix T :16m sailplane certified in April 1961 and manufactured by Apparatebau Nabern.Surviving aircraft
The prototype ''fs24 Phönix'' is on display at theDeutsches Museum
The Deutsches Museum (''German Museum'', officially (English: ''German Museum of Masterpieces of Science and Technology'')) in Munich, Germany, is the world's largest museum of science museum, science and technology museum, technology, with a ...
in Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
, Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
.
D-8353 is part of the collection of the Deutsches Segelflugmuseum at Wasserkuppe
The Wasserkuppe (;) is the highest mountain in the Rhön Mountains, Rhön range and the tallest elevation in the Germany, German state of Hesse, standing at above sea level. It forms a prominent plateau within the Fulda district and is known as ...
, Germany.
Specifications
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
* * * *External links
Akaflieg Stuttgart website
{{MBB aircraft 1950s German sailplanes Mid-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1957 Glider aircraft Akaflieg Stuttgart aircraft