Akaflieg

Akaflieg is an abbreviation for "Akademische Fliegergruppe", an academic group of fliers in pre and postwar Germany.

History

Otto Lilienthal published his book "Der Vogelflug als Grundlage der Fliegekunst" in 1889. This described the basics of modern aerodynamics and aircraft construction. Lilienthal then made many successful flights starting in 1891. However attention then shifted to powered flight until after the World War I.

Gliding re-emerged as a sport after the war because the building of powered aircraft was restricted in Germany by the Treaty of Versailles. The main originator of the gliding movement was Oskar Ursinus, who in 1920 organised the first contest, known as the Rhön-Contest, on the Wasserkuppe. Thereafter the contest was annual. Students of technical universities brought to the meeting gliders which they had developed and built themselves for testing and contests. An "esprit de corps" developed known as "Rhöngeist".

These informal beginnings caused the formation of groups of engineers at universities with the aim of scientific and practical education. The first groups were formed in 1920 in Aachen, Darmstadt and Berlin-Charlottenburg, but others soon followed.

Many of the first members had been pilots in the German Air Force. However it was the love of flying instead of militarism or nationalism that motivated them. As a result a fraternal spirit was created that has been maintained to this day.

During the Nazi period some Akafliegs escaped regulation for a while through the patronage of the "Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt (DVL)", a forerunner of the present-day "German Aerospace Center (DLR)", however shortly before World War II the akafliegs were forced to integrate into the "NS-Deutsche Studentenbund (Nazi-students-federation)". The projects at this time mainly had a military application.

Present day

After the war, the Akafliegs re-formed in 1951, co-ordinated by "Interessengemeinschaft Deutscher Akademischer Fliegergruppen e.V. (Idaflieg)". As at 2007 there are ten groups. The aim of the Akafliegs is the development, design and construction of aeroplanes, especially gliders and scientific research into flight. Much of practical work is done at the summer-meetings of the "Idaflieg" in co-operation with the "German Aerospace Center (DLR)", while the results of the research are presented at the winter-meetings. The "Idaflieg" also offers many events and courses to its members such as the specification, design and certification of aeroplanes.

The quality of additional education provided by the Akafliegs is widely respected and so German glider manufacturers recruit almost exclusively from the Akafliegs.

Members have to devote approximately 150 to 300 man-hours annually in order to be able to fly with the Akafliegs. The cost of flying for these members is usually much lower than at other gliding clubs.

Akaflieg Projects

The following is a list of the Akafliegs and some of their projects:

Akaflieg Berlin

The "Akaflieg Berlin", the abbreviation of "Akademische Fliegergruppe Berlin e.V. (Academic Aviator Group Berlin)" is a group of students enrolled at several Berlin universities, though they are mainly from the "TU Berlin", who are involved with the development and the design of gliders, as well as research in aerodynamics. The "Akaflieg Berlin" was founded in 1920 and is consequently the oldest gliding club in Berlin. They fly their gliders from Kammermark airfield near Pritzwalk which they share with the "AFV Berlin (Akademische Fliegervereinigung Berlin e.V.)", which mainly consists of former members of the "Akaflieg Berlin", jokingly referred to as the "elderly ladies and gentlemen". As at 2007/2008 "The Akaflieg Berlin" is the executive group of the "Idaflieg".

Akaflieg Berlin currently operates three two-seaters: a "Grob G-103 Twin III", and two of its own designs, a "B 12" and a "B 13". It also owns two single-seaters: a "Schempp-Hirth Discus" and a "Schleicher ASW 24".

Akaflieg Berlin has undertaken the following development projects:

*Akaflieg Berlin B 1 „Charlotte“: 1922, single-seat glider, tailless, shoulder-wing, two skids, all-wood

*Akaflieg Berlin B 2 „Teufelchen“: 1923, single-seat glider, cantilever shoulder-wing, all-wood

*Akaflieg Berlin B 3 „Charlotte II“: 1923, single-seat glider, air brakes, one skid, otherwise like "B 1"

*Akaflieg Berlin B 4 „F.F.“: 1931, single-seat engined aeroplane, 20 HP, high-wing, all wood body, cloth covered retractable wings

*Akaflieg Berlin B 5: 1937, single-seat performance glider, cantilevered gull-wings, retractable landing-gear, all-moving-tail, dive air-brakes, all-wood

*Akaflieg Berlin B 6: 1938, single-seat performance glider, cantilevered mid-wing aeroplane with Junkers-flaps, retractable landing gear, all moving tail, dive air brakes, wood and steel body

*Akaflieg Berlin B 7: 1939, two-seater performance glider, planned, but not built

*Akaflieg Berlin B 8: 1939, single-seat performance glider, to meet the specifications of the Olympia tender (the competition to design a glider for the 1940 Olympic Games), cantilever shoulder-wing, dive air-brakes, all wood, constructed in 2 versions (version 2 = adjustable dihedral-angle)

*Akaflieg Berlin B 9: 1943, two-seater twin-engined experimental aeroplane for high-g-flights, prone pilot position, cantilever low-wing, retractable landing gear, 2 x 105 HP

*Akaflieg Berlin B 10: 1944, two-seated twin-engined amphibian, only planned

*Akaflieg Berlin B 11: 1963, tailless single-seat performance glider with negative wing-sweep, not finished, faulty design

*Akaflieg Berlin B 12: The "B 12" is a two-seated epoxy-glass-resin performance glider with the seats in tandem. The main aim of the project was the optimisation of the aerodynamics of the fuselage at high speeds. The "B 12" has flaps and a retractable landing-gear and is still used by the group for performance flights and contests. The maiden flight was in 1977 at Ehlershausen near Hannover and the measured glide-ratio (Idaflieg-summer-meeting 1978) is 40.5.

*Akaflieg Berlin B 13: The "B 13" is a two-seater epoxy-carbon-resin electric motor glider with the seats positioned side-by-side. The wing span is 23.2 m and the measured glide-ratio (Idaflieg-summer-meeting 1992) is 46.5. The wing profile is a modified flap-HQ-41-profile. Developed in the eighties, the "B 13" had its successful maiden flight in 1991 at Strausberg near Berlin. The innovative brushless linear induction motor of the "B 13" is powered by energy from renewable sources using fuel cells and solar technology.
*Glider launch winch: Because of the great weight of the B 13, the group decided 1984 to design and construct a new more powerful winch to launch gliders. Daimler-Benz donated a 320 HP 10-cylinder diesel engine including drums for the cables and axles for the drums. In addition to achieving a higher performance, the project's aim was to make launching safer for modern gliders which have higher minimum speeds during a winch launch, especially on days when there is no wind or even a light tail-wind. By using big azimuth rollers and aslope arranged inlet guides, the winch is designed to minimise the bending of the cable under load. The groups also designed automatic process controls for the pneumatically driven actuators. The chassis is an all-wheel-driven Tatra 148. The winch was finished in 1994. Since 2004 the winch is operated with "DYNEEMA"-plastics-cables.

Other akafliegs and their projects

* Akaflieg Braunschweig
** Akaflieg Braunschweig SB 5 Danzig
** Akaflieg Braunschweig SB 6 Nixope
** Akaflieg Braunschweig SB 7 Nimbus
** Akaflieg Braunschweig SB 8 & 8V2
** Akaflieg Braunschweig SB 9 Stratus
** Akaflieg Braunschweig SB 10 Schirokko (For a long time the biggest glider of the world (wing-span 29 m) with the best glide-ratio (50). Setted many world records in the seventies (maiden-flight 1972). First glider with epoxy-carbon-resin-spars and still used by the group for performance flights.)
** Akaflieg Braunschweig SB 11 Antares
** Akaflieg Braunschweig SB 12
** Akaflieg Braunschweig SB 13 Arcus
** Akaflieg Braunschweig SB 14

*Akaflieg Darmstadt
** Akaflieg Darmstadt D-18
** Akaflieg Darmstadt D-22
** Akaflieg Darmstadt D-29b
** Akaflieg Darmstadt D-33
** Akaflieg Darmstadt D-34
** Akaflieg Darmstadt D-36 Circe
** Akaflieg Darmstadt D-37 Artemis
** Akaflieg Darmstadt D-38
** Akaflieg Darmstadt D-39
** Akaflieg Darmstadt D-40
** Akaflieg Darmstadt D-41
** Akaflieg Darmstadt D-42
** Akaflieg Darmstadt D-43

* Akaflieg Dresden

* Akaflieg Hannover
** Akaflieg Hannover AFH-22
** Akaflieg Hannover AFH-24

* Akaflieg Karlsruhe
** Akaflieg Karlsruhe AK-1
** Akaflieg Karlsruhe AK-5
** Akaflieg Karlsruhe AK-5b
** Akaflieg Karlsruhe AK-8

* Akaflieg Köln
** Akaflieg Köln LS11

* Akaflieg München
** Akaflieg München Mü-1 Vogel-Roch
** Akaflieg München Mü-2 Münchner-Kindl
** Akaflieg München Mü-3 Kakadu
** Akaflieg München Mü-4 München
** Akaflieg München Mü-5 Wastl
** Akaflieg München Mü-6
** Akaflieg München Mü-7
** Akaflieg München Mü-8
** Akaflieg München Mü-9
** Akaflieg München Mü-10 Milan
** Akaflieg München Mü-11 Papagei
** Akaflieg München Mü-12 Kiwi
** Akaflieg München Mü-13 Merlin
** Akaflieg München Mü-14
** Akaflieg München Mü-15
** Akaflieg München Mü-16
** Akaflieg München Mü-17 Merle
** Akaflieg München Mü-18 Kiwi
** Akaflieg München Mü-19
** Akaflieg München Mü-20
** Akaflieg München Mü-21
** Akaflieg München/Akaflieg Darmstadt DM1
** Akaflieg München/Akaflieg Darmstadt DM2
** Akaflieg München/Akaflieg Darmstadt DM3
** Akaflieg München/Akaflieg Darmstadt DM4
** Akaflieg München Mü-22 a
** Akaflieg München Mü-22 b
** Akaflieg München Mü-23 Saurier
** Akaflieg München Mü-24 Milan II
** Akaflieg München Mü-25
** Akaflieg München Mü-26
** Akaflieg München Mü-27 (Fowler flaps)
** Akaflieg München Mü-28
** Akaflieg München Mü-30 Schlacro
** Akaflieg München Mü-31

* Akaflieg Stuttgart
** Akaflieg Stuttgart FS-24 Phönix (first fiber-glass glider)
** Akaflieg Stuttgart FS-25 Cuervo
** Akaflieg Stuttgart FS-29 (Onliest glider with telescope wings for variable wing-span in the flight. Wings-spans from 13,3m to 19m)
** Akaflieg Stuttgart FS-31
** Akaflieg Stuttgart FS-32
** Akaflieg Stuttgart FS-33 Gavilán
** Akaflieg Stuttgart FS-34 Albatros
** Akaflieg Stuttgart FS-35

* Akaflieg Graz (Österreich)

Flugwissenschaftliche Vereinigung Aachen and Flugtechnische Arbeitsgemeinschaft Esslingen are also members of Idaflieg.

External links

All in German
* [http://www.akaflieg.de Idaflieg]
* [http://www.fva.rwth-aachen.de/ Flugwissenschaftliche Vereinigung Aachen]
* [http://www.akaflieg-berlin.de/ Akademische Fliegergruppe Berlin]
* [http://www.akaflieg-braunschweig.de/ Akademische Fliegergruppe Braunschweig]
* [http://www.akaflieg.tu-darmstadt.de/ Akademische Fliegergruppe Darmstadt]
* [http://www.idaflieg.de/dresden Akademische Fliegergruppe Dresden]
* [http://www.fht-esslingen.de/~ftag Flugtechnische Arbeitsgemeinschaft Esslingen]
* [http://www.akaflieg-hannover.de/ Akademische Fliegergruppe Hannover]
* [http://www.akaflieg.uni-karlsruhe.de/ Akademische Fliegergruppe an der Universität Karlsruhe]
* [http://www.akaflieg.vo.tu-muenchen.de Akaflieg München]
* [http://www.uni-stuttgart.de/akaflieg/ Akaflieg Stuttgart]