Company type | Non-profit |
---|---|
Genre | Aviation research |
Founded | 1928 and 1951 |
Headquarters | , |
Website | www |
Akaflieg Karlsruhe is one of ten flying groups (Akaflieg) attached to German universities. Akaflieg is an abbreviation for Akademische Fliegergruppe, an academic group of students working with a German University. The Akademische Fliegergruppe Karlsruhe e.V. (Akaflieg Karlsruhe) - (Academic Aviator Group Karlsruhe) is a group of students enrolled at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, who are involved with the development and the design of gliders, as well as research in aerodynamics.
In the winter semester of 1927/28 a glider group was founded by Karl Töpfer, Assistant at the chair for motor vehicles with a teaching assignment for aircraft technology. The association was registered as Academic Flying Club Karlsruhe 1928. The hang-glider, a large wing equipped with a passenger harness called „Brigant“/"Bandit" was taken over from the Glider Club Karlruhe, which had just been dissolved. Until 1933 three glider planes were built, named "Zögling"/"Pupil", "Hol’s der Teufel"/"Let the devil get it" and "Karlsruhe". On May 13, 1933, the Akaflieg Karlsruhe was dissolved. The entire equipment was repossessed to the Karlsruhe grouping of the German Aviation Federation.
Glider flying was allowed in Germany on May 22, 1951, on which the new Academic Flying Group of Karlruhe was officially founded. on its first day it 78 members. Thanks to the support of many friends and sponsors, the fleet rapidly expanded. In 1954 a two-seater (model Kranich III) was purchased and got the name „Walter“. In 1955 a new Doppelraab V6 named „Studiosus“ and a motor-plane Bücker 181 "Bestmann" were added to the fleet. A self-built L-Spatz 55 was soon built by the Akaflieg. Mid Sixties work on the project AK-1 started. On January 9, 1971, at 12:31 Central European Time AK-1 was airborne on its own propulsion. The first Prototype of Akaflieg Karlsruhe after the war had proven itself.
Flight trials of the Ak-1 were undertaken in the beginning of the seventies. On October 27, 1973, the assemblee decided to launch a new project. AK-2 should be a powerful motor-glider out of Fiberglas. The project was never finished. In parallel flight data calculators for glider flying had been conceived and constructed. AK-3 became a project and a finished flight computer with electric variometer and glide slope indicator was borne, which was even produced in a small series. AK-3R was completed as approach slope calculator The Ak-4 project was a in cooperation with the Institute for climate research and meteorology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Climatic data over the Upper Rhine Region was measured with an airplane purpose built with special equipment for in flight data collection.
Akaflieg Karlsruhe has a workshop on the west campus of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. The students usually work off the required 300 hours per year there. The DG-1000 with a 400-N-Turbine (AK-9) is finished and in flight trials. The main project is the construction of AK-X, a pure wing 15-class glider. The flying activities, with winch hauling, are held on the glider field of Rheinstetten, close to the fair of Karlsruhe since the airport of Karlsruhe-Forchheim was closed.
Aircraft designed and/or built at Akaflieg Karlsruhe include:
HpH 304 is a family of sailplanes ranging from a single-seat composite 15 metre Class to a two-place 20 metre Open Class manufactured by the Czech company HpH Ltd. The sailplane was derived from a glider made by Glasflügel between 1980 and 1982 that was put back in production by HpH and who have modified it substantially and developed new models since.
The Akaflieg Stuttgart fs24, nicknamed Phönix, was a glider designed and built in West Germany from 1951.
Akaflieg is an abbreviation for Akademische Fliegergruppe, groups of aeronautical engineering students from individual German Technical Universities, pre and postwar, who design aircraft, often gliders.
Flugwissenschaftliche Vereinigung Aachen is a non-profit organization, founded in 1920, which is closely associated to RWTH Aachen University, with members consisting of RWTH Aachen students, which have included Felix Kracht. FVA supports and organizes various training courses for flight training, handling of composites and other aircraft materials including steel and aluminum.
The Glasflügel BS-1, sometimes called the Björn Stender BS-1 or the Stender BS-1, is a West German, high-wing, single seat, T-tailed, FAI Open Class glider that was designed by Björn Stender and produced by Glasflügel.
The Mü-27 is a research glider aircraft that designed and built in Germany in 1979. Only one example was constructed.
The Akaflieg Stuttgart fs17 was a glider aircraft that was designed and built in Germany from 1936. It notably featured a prone seating position for its pilot.
The Akaflieg Stuttgart fs18a was a glider designed and built in Germany from 1938. It was characterized by a gull wing and was the first glider to have a retractable undercarriage. Only one example of the design was constructed.
The Akaflieg München Mü1 Vogel Roch is a glider that was designed and built in Germany in 1924.
Akaflieg Berlin is one of around thirteen flying groups, or Akaflieg, currently attached to German universities. Akaflieg Berlin, is the abbreviation of Akademische Fliegergruppe Berlin e.V., a group of students enrolled at several Berlin universities, though they are mainly from TU Berlin, who are involved with the development and the design of gliders, as well as research in aerodynamics. Founded in 1920 Akaflieg Berlin is one of the oldest gliding clubs in Germany, flying their gliders from Kammermark airfield near Pritzwalk, which they share with the AFV Berlin, which mainly consists of former members of Akaflieg Berlin, jokingly referred to as the “elderly ladies and gentlemen”. As at 2007/2008 Akaflieg Berlin was the executive group of the Idaflieg, the controlling body for all German university flying groups.
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.
The Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-5 is a German single-seat Standard Class sailplane designed and prototyped by students of Brunswick University. More than 100 were built to their design, in several different variants.
The Akaflieg Stuttgart fs31 Ferdinand Porsche is a tandem seat, dual control training glider designed and built in Germany between 1977 and 1981. The aircraft was intended to have high performance, yet to be robust enough for student use. It was not intended for production and remains in service with the Akaflieg after almost 40 years and 7,100 flying hours.
The Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-13 Arcus was an experimental tailless, single-seat, Standard Class glider designed and built in Germany in the early 1990s. Though it performed as well as its conventional contemporaries, it did not offer sufficiently improved performance to compensate for its difficult handling characteristics.
The AK-5 is a single-seat club class sailplane designed and built in Germany by members of Akaflieg Karlsruhe.
The AK-8 is a single-seat FAI-Standard Class sailplane, designed and built in Germany by members of Akaflieg Karlsruhe which can be distinguished by its elliptical leading edge.
The Akaflieg Berlin B2 Teufelchen was a glider built in Germany in the 1920s. It featured a high-wing, cantilever sailplane configuration of all-wood construction.
Polyteknikkojen Ilmailukerho (PIK) is the student flying club of the Aalto University. As well as a flying club, it develops light aircraft and gliders, often on a small scale but sometimes its designs have been produced in quantity. Approximately 536 aircraft have been built by the organisation and its sub-contractors. It is similar to the Akafliegs of German universities in that students make designs with advice from staff to give practical experience before seeking employment.