NEWS FROM THE
SCHLEICHER FACTORY By Bernard Eckey At the recent World Championships at Uvalde Zbigniew Nieradka from Poland took out the 18m class with an ASG 29. All three podium positions in this class went to ASG 29 pilots. Photo Kathryn Woetzel, Uvalde 2012
Another year full of interesting developments is now well and truly behind us, with glider manufacturers trying to outdo each other refining existing models or developing new ones. Unfortunately, informing the general public about all the hard work happening in the background is all too often put on the back burner.
The past twelve months have been extremely busy for Schleicher. A record number of new gliders left the Poppenhausen factory, with the ASG 29 and the ASH 31 topping the list of aircraft dispatched. The ASG 29 remains the clear favourite amongst the world’s competition pilots, resulting in a backlog of orders, even after five years of maximum production. The problem of slowly developing wing distortions has now been eliminated by modification of the fabrication method. “This problem is now clearly behind us,” says Managing Director Ulrich Kremer, “and is possibly one of the reasons why the ASG 29 is still enjoying an undiminished popularity. Of course, the many competition successes add to the aircraft’s appeal. As in previous years, ASG 29 pilots have occupied top podium positions at almost all major championships in 2011/12. 24
October 2012
Three consecutive world titles also speak for themselves! This year only ASG 29 pilots occupied the podium and seven out of the first ten pilots were flying ASG 29’s”. The new ASH 31 Mi was officially granted type certification by EASA. The option of flying it in either 18 metre class or in Open Class (with optional 21 metre wingtips) has proven popular with pilots who are looking for a self- launching glider and total independence. A parking brake was added to the list of options. It allows pilots to conduct an engine test run without holding the wheel brake at the same time. The rotary engine was upgraded and now comes with fuel injection and automatic altitude compensation. It has not only resulted in even easier engine management but also in an impressive climb rate of 3.4 m/s. (approx. 7 knots) at maximum take off weight. Of concern are the rapidly increasing costs, time and effort required for type certification. This applies not only to Schleicher but also to other glider manufacturers who certify their aircraft to CS 22 standards. Even after a quarter of a century of full production, the ASK 21 remains the world’s favourite trainer. Its service life of 18,000 hours makes it by far the most economical trainer in the medium term. The self-launching version is adding to its popularity and the trend towards training new pilots in a self-launching glider continues unabated. The worldwide call for an increased maximum weight in the rear seat was recently heeded by Schleicher. So far, the ASK 21 was limited to 110 kg in both front and rear seat but certification
