The Schweizer SGS 2-12 is a

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two-seat, low-wing, training glider built by

Schweizer Aircraft The Schweizer Aircraft Corporation was an American manufacturer of sailplanes, agricultural aircraft and helicopters located in Horseheads (town), New York, Horseheads, New York. It was incorporation (business), incorporated in 1939 by three Sc ...

Elmira, New York Elmira () is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. ...

.Said, Bob: ''1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine'', page 26. Soaring Society of America, November 1983. USPS 499-920 The 2-12 was a development of the Schweizer 2-8 two place training glider, with an all-wooden wing. It was designed especially for a

US Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

requirement to train glider pilots for air assault missions in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Design and development

When the US entered World War Two in 1941 none of the US services had a glider program. The German use of glider-borne attack on the Belgian fortress of Eben-Emael and their use in the

Battle of Crete The Battle of Crete (, ), codenamed Operation Mercury (), was a major Axis Powers, Axis Airborne forces, airborne and amphibious assault, amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May ...

convinced the US military that they would need glider-borne forces of their own.Schweizer, Paul A: ''Wings Like Eagles, The Story of Soaring in the United States'', page 78. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1988. Initially the USAAF contracted Schweizer for the construction of the existing SGS 2-8, which entered service as the Army TG-2 and the

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and

US Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the Marines, maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expedi ...

LNS-1. The 2-8 was a good glider trainer, but had fabric-covered aluminum wings. Aluminum was designated as a "

strategic material Strategic material is any sort of raw material that is important to an individual's or organization's strategic plan and supply chain management. Lack of supply of strategic materials may leave an organization or government vulnerable to disrup ...

" and its use was to be avoided in training aircraft to conserve it for combat aircraft. Schweizer was therefore asked to design a new glider that would not use aluminum. Work began on the new model SGS 2-12 in the winter of 1941/42 as production of the 2-8 was getting under way. The 2-12 had a wooden wing, replacing the aluminum wing on the 2-8. Since the wing was being redesigned, several other improvements requested by the USAAF were incorporated into the design, including simplifying the design for mass production. The new wing was 2 feet greater in span, giving it a slightly better glide ratio than the 2-8. The greater span also helped make up for the additional weight of the aircraft. Typical empty weights were almost double that of the 2-8 at 860 lbs (390 kg). The wing was also thicker in section, with a thicker spar, which allowed the elimination of the struts that the 2-8 had used, while permitting a higher redline speed. The wing was also moved from a mid-wing position to a low-wing, to improve the instructor's visibility from the rear cockpit. The new wing also incorporated balanced top and bottom surface divebrakes, replacing the 2-8's top surface spoilers. The 2-12 has a welded

steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

tube fuselage covered in

aircraft fabric Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures. The de Havilland Mosquito is an example of this technique, as are ...

. The

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

wings are also covered in aircraft fabric. The 2-12 received type certificate G-2-11 after the war was over, on 27 February 1947. All aircraft are officially FAA certificated as TG-3As, rather than SGS 2-12s.

Operational history

A total of 113 TG-3As were built for USAAF use, including three XTG-3 prototypes. One TG-3A was constructed by Air Glider as part of an order for 50 TG-3As, but that company's contract performance was not acceptable to the USAAF and further orders were cancelled. All remaining military TG-3As were sold to gliding schools and individuals at the end of the war. One civil SGS 2-12 was completed by Schweizer for factory use at the very end of the military TG-3A production line, bringing the total completed to 114. The SGS 2-12 is a large and heavy glider. It is also difficult and time-consuming to remove the wings for trailering or storage. After the war, when many were in civil service these factors resulted in many being tied down outside, rather than being protected in trailers. The wooden wings on many suffered deterioration as a result of exposure to the weather.

Records

The 2-12 was a rugged sailplane capable of high-altitude flight and was much sought after following World War Two. 2-12s were used to set several records. On November 4, 1945 Frank Hurtt and Paul A. Schweizer broke the multi-place duration record in a TG-3A. The flight was flown at Harris Hill in ridge lift and lasted 9:17 and was the first post war record set in the USA. In 1950 Harland Ross set a new altitude record with a 2-12 flight to 36,100 feet (11,003 m) Betsy Woodward set the feminine altitude record in a 2-12 as well.

Variants

;XTG-3 :Three prototype TG-3s were constructed under the designation XTG-3. ;TG-3A :The USAAF variant. All surplus aircraft sold at the end of the war were TG-3As. 110 produced. ;SGS 2-12 :One civil SGS 2-12 was completed.

Aircraft on display

* Icelandic Aviation Museum,

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- TG-3A, SN 42-53120. The Akureyri Gliding Club bought this glider in 1946. It last flew 13 June 1993. *

National Museum of the United States Air Force The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is ...

– TG-3A was restored by the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Oklahoma and donated to the museum in December 1980. *

National Soaring Museum The National Soaring Museum (NSM) is an aviation museum whose stated aim is to preserve the history of motorless flight. It is located in Big Flats Town, New York, on top of Harris Hill near Elmira. The NSM is the Soaring Society of America's ...

– 1943 model TG-3A, N61279. This aircraft is displayed with its entire left side and wing revealed without fabric installed. * Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum *

US Southwest Soaring Museum The US Southwest Soaring Museum is an aviation museum, located at 918 E US Route 66, in Moriarty, New Mexico, United States that focuses on the history of gliding in the western United States. The museum is an affiliate member of the Soaring Soci ...

Gliding Heritage Centre The Gliding Heritage Centre (GHC) is a collection of vintage gliders based at Lasham Airfield, Hampshire, UK. Origins Christopher Wills, the son of Philip Wills, founded the Vintage Glider Club in 1973. He died on 4 May 2011 but left a beque ...

-TG3A in flying condition

Survivors

In March 2011 there were still 29 TG-3As registered in the USA.

Specifications (TG-3)

References

External links

Detailed photos of the SGS 2-12 (US Army Air Force TG-3) in the NSM
{{US glider aircraft 1940s United States sailplanes Schweizer aircraft Low-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1942