| fs25 Cuervo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Glider |
| National origin | West Germany |
| Manufacturer | Akaflieg Stuttgart |
| First flight | 30 January 1968 |
| Number built | 1 |
| Developed from | Akaflieg Stuttgart fs23 Hidalgo |
The Akaflieg Stuttgart fs25, nicknamed Cuervo (Spanish: Raven) is a glider designed and built in Germany from 1968.
With the completion of the fs23 Hidalgo and flight testing it was found that some of the expected results were not forthcoming. Through use of the UNIVAC 1107 computer, at the Institut für Statik und Dynamik of the University of Stuttgart, there was found to be no possible improvement of the wing section and arrangement of the fs23. The students then concentrated on the fuselage of a new aircraft using the wing of the fs23 extended to 15m span, with drag reduced to a minimum by reducing the wetted area of the fuselage, as a whole, and reducing the sectional area dramatically aft of the wing. The long thin tail boom, constructed with aluminium alloy, was donated by VFW (Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke) at Speyer and attached to the tubular steel fuselage centre section structure.
Tests were carried out to define the best method of transferring loads between fibre-glass components and other materials. Rivetting had been used on the fs23 through reinforcement with birch plys, but the best results were obtained by re-inforcing with extra fibreglass plys and direct bonding without screws, bolts or rivets. The reduced cross-section front fuselage was constructed from fibreglass/balsa sandwich attached to the internal centre section tubular steel structure with a reclined seating position and plexiglass canopy hinging to the rear.
After the first flight, on 30 January 1968, Helmut Reichmann (world standard and 15m class champion) flew the fs25 in the German national gliding championship, where he demonstrated the harmony of the controls, agility and the excellent climb performance due to the high aspect ratio and low wing loading.
Development of the fs25 has been carried out in France at the ENSMA – Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et D'Aérotechnique as part of the Société Scientifique de Recherche et de Promotion du Planeur Léger. The ENSMA FS-25 F Cuervo has modifications to the internal structure as well as a retractable mainwheel, improved canopy and modified ailerons. A two-seat version has also been developed at ENSMA, as the ENSMA Two-seater. [1]
Data from https://akaflieg-stuttgart.de/en/projects/fs25-cuervo/
General characteristics
Performance
Related lists
The Rolladen-Schneider LS1 is a Standard Class single-seat glider manufactured in Germany by Rolladen-Schneider from 1968 to 1977.
The Akaflieg Stuttgart fs24, nicknamed Phönix, was a glider designed and built in West Germany from 1951.
The Akaflieg Stuttgart fs16, nicknamed Wippsterz was a glider aircraft that was designed and built in Germany from 1936. Only one example of the design 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 Stuttgart fs23, nicknamed Hidalgo, was a glider aircraft that was designed and built in West Germany from 1953. It was lighter than most contemporaries. Only one example of the design was constructed, which was destroyed in a fatal crash in 1971.
The Akaflieg Stuttgart fs29 TF Stadt Stuttgart is a glider designed and built in Germany from 1972.
The SZD-38 Jantar 1 (Amber) is a glider designed and produced in Poland from 1971.
The Akaflieg Berlin B12 is a high performance two-place glider aircraft that was designed and built in Germany. Conceived as a research vehicle, only one unit was constructed.
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 Stuttgart fs26 Moseppl is a German single-seat motor glider with twin fins and rudders designed and built by Akaflieg Stuttgart. First flown on the 25 September 1970 it was designed as an experiment and not intended for production.
The Akaflieg Darmstadt D-7 Margarete, often shortened to Darmstadt D-7 Margarete, was one of the earliest two seat monoplane gliders, designed and built by German university students in 1923.
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 experimental Hirth Hi-25 Kria was only the second glider constructed from glass reinforced plastic (GRP). Built in Germany in 1958, it was a single seat, 12 m (39.4 ft) span aircraft. Only one was built; it later flew for several years with Akaflieg Stuttgart.
The Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-7 Nimbus is a Standard class glider designed and built in Germany in the 1960s. It was one of a series of mixed glass fibre and wood designs from the students of Akaflieg Braunschweig.
The Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-8 is an experimental, single-seat, high performance glider built in Germany in the 1960s, constructed largely from glass fibre skin over built up balsa wood structure. Two were built; the second of which was later fitted with a high aspect ratio (30:1) wing, becoming the Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-9 Stratus.
The Schleicher Rhönadler, DFS Rhönadler or Jacobs Rhönadler is a high performance, single seat competition sailplane built in Germany in the 1930s. More than 65 were built.
The Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-6 Nixope was an early (1961) GRP high performance single seat glider designed and built in Germany by aeronautical students from Brunswick University. It competed in the 1961 German National gliding competition, coming sixth, and led directly to two further GRP aircraft.
The Schneider ES49 is a two-seat glider trainer, designed, first flown in late August 1951 and commercially produced in Germany but later built from plans by gliding clubs in Australia. A major redesign there led to the ES49B Kangaroo.
The Akaflieg Stuttgart fs33 Gavilán is a high-performance two-seater class sailplane designed and built by Akaflieg Stuttgart.
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Akaflieg Stuttgart fs25 . |