Hans Jacobs

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Hans Jacobs
Born30 April 1907
Hamburg, Germany
Died24 October 1994(1994-10-24) (aged 87)

Hans Jacobs (30 April 1907 in Hamburg – 24 October 1994) was a German sailplane designer and pioneer. [1] He had been taught sailplane design by Alexander Lippisch, designer of many gliders during the 1920s and the 1930s. As the head of the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS - German Research Institute for Sailplane Flight) at Darmstadt in the years before World War II, he was responsible for a number of highly successful designs, including the DFS Rhönsperber, DFS Rhönadler, DFS Habicht, DFS Weihe, DFS Kranich, [2] and the DFS 230 assault glider. Hans also designed a glider-seaplane, the "Sea Eagle", test flown by Hanna Reitsch. [3] In 1936, Hans developed self-operating dive brakes, on the upper and lower surface of each wing, for gliders. He designed the DFS 230 used in the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael.

The DFS Olympia Meise was selected in 1939 as the glider for the 1940 Summer Olympics, but the games were cancelled. The design was taken up after the war and produced in large numbers in the UK by Elliotts of Newbury, in France by Nord Aviation, in the Netherlands and in Switzerland. [4]

When the prohibition on German aviation under the Allied occupation ended in 1951, Jacobs designed and marketed a significantly different, updated version of the Kranich. [5]

In 1932 Jacobs authored a seminal work on sailplane design, Werkstattpraxis für den Bau von Gleit- und Segelflugzeugen ("Workshop Practice for the Construction of Gliders and Sailplanes"). Updated in several editions, this "became and remains the standard work" on the construction of wooden gliders. [6] In July 2016 the Vintage Sailplane Association published an English translation of this work.

Jacob's glider designs

From Sailplanes 1920-1945 [7]

Hols der Teufel (1928-9)
Poppenhausen (1929)
Rhönadler (1932)
Rhönbussard (1933)
Rhönsperber (1935)
Kranich (1935)
Sperber Senior (1936)
Sperber Junior (1936)
Habicht (1936)
Seeadler (1936)
Reiher (1937)
DFS 230 (1937)[ citation needed ]
Weihe (1938)
Meise (Olympia) (1939)
DFS 331 (1942)[ citation needed ]
Kranich 3 (1952) [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug</span>

The Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug, or DFS, was formed in 1933 to centralise all gliding activity in Germany, under the directorship of Professor Walter Georgii. It was formed by the nationalisation of the Rhön-Rossitten Gesellschaft (RRG) at Darmstadt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DFS Olympia Meise</span> German single-seat glider, 1938

The DFS Olympia Meise was a German sailplane designed by the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS) for Olympic competition, based on the DFS Meise.

Contrary to the methods used by the Reich Air Ministry (RLM) for the allocation of aircraft designations, the designers and manufacturers of sailplanes and gliders in Germany enjoyed the freedom of choosing their own designations for their products up until 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DFS Habicht</span> German single-seat aerobatic glider, 1936

The DFS Habicht is an unlimited aerobatic sailplane that was designed in 1936 by Hans Jacobs with support provided by the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug. Four planes were made available for the Olympic Games of 1936, where the maneuvers of the Habicht over and literally inside the Olympic stadium enthralled spectators.

The Slingsby T.25 Gull 4 is a British glider designed and built by Slingsby that first flew in 1947.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EoN Olympia</span> British single-seat glider, 1947

The Eon Olympia was a glider produced from 1947 by Elliotts of Newbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SZD-C Żuraw</span> Polish training and aerobatic glider, 1952

The SZD-C Żuraw, also designated as IS-C is a two-seat training and aerobatic glider aircraft, built in Poland from 1952, a copy of the German DFS Kranich II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DFS Kranich</span> German two-seat glider, 1935

The DFS Kranich is a type of German glider. It was developed by Hans Jacobs for the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DFS Weihe</span> German single-seat glider, 1938

The DFS Weihe is a German single-seat, high-wing, 18 metre wingspan, high-performance glider that was designed by Hans Jacobs in 1937-38.

The DFS Seeadler was a German flying boat sailplane designed by Hans Jacobs of the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS). It was version of the 1935 DFS Rhönadler, with a new fuselage and strongly gulled wings to keep them clear from spray. The aircraft was first flown in the summer of 1935, test piloted by Hanna Reitsch, and towed by a Dornier Do 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CVV-4 Pellicano</span> Type of aircraft

The CVV-4 Pellicano was a single seat Italian glider designed for a competition to select an aircraft for the 1940 Olympic Games. The DFS Olympia Meise was preferred to it after the trials in Italy in 1939.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DFS Rhönsperber</span> German single seat competition glider, 1937

The DFS Rhönsperber, otherwise known as the Schweyer Rhönsperber or Jacobs Rhönsperber was a single seat competition glider designed in Germany by Hans Jacobs and first flown in 1935. For several years it was regarded as the best German sailplane and about one hundred were built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DFS Reiher</span> German single-seat glider, 1937

The DFS Reiher was a single seat competition glider designed in Germany by Hans Jacobs and first flown in 1937. The type won the last two German Rhön gliding championships before the start of World War II. Six were factory produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schleicher Rhönbussard</span> German training glider, 1933

The Schleicher Rhönbussard, otherwise known as the DFS Rhönbussard was intended as an intermediate glider trainer which could also fly competitively. It was designed by Hans Jacobs in Germany in the early 1930s. More than 200 were built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schleicher Rhönadler</span> German single-seat glider, 1932

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 DFS Sperber Senior was a competition sailplane designed and built in Germany in 1936. During 1937 the sole example visited the United States and scored highest in the US National Soaring Competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DFS Sperber Junior</span> German single-seat glider, 1936

The DFS Sperber Junior was a competition sailplane designed for Hanna Reitsch and built in Germany in 1936.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German Gliding Museum</span> Aviation museum in Hesse, Germany

The German Glider Museum, situated on the Wasserkuppe in the German state of Hesse is the national gliding museum, opened in 1987.

References

  1. ↑ "Pioniere des Segelfluges: Hans Jacobs". Segelflugmuseum.de. 2007-02-10. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  2. ↑ Simons, Martin (2006). Sailplanes 1920-1945 (2nd revised ed.). Königswinter: EQIP Werbung & Verlag GmbH. pp. 106–128. ISBN   3-9806773-4-6.
  3. ↑ Reitsch, H., 1955, The Sky My Kingdom, London: Biddles Limited, Guildford and King's Lynn, ISBN   1853672629
  4. ↑ Simons (2006). Sailplanes 1920-1945. pp. 128–130.
  5. 1 2 Hardy, Michael (1982). Gliders & Sailplanes of the World. London: Ian Allan Ltd. p. 28. ISBN   0-7110-1152-4.
  6. ↑ Simons (2006). Sailplanes 1920-1945. p. 130.
  7. ↑ Simons (2006). "Chapter 10". Sailplanes 1920-1945.


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