Sailplane 1930s Style Please Try to Name

Actually, Fred Slingsby just went cheap on the development of the T38. He re-used the large number of surplus T.7 wings, stabilizers and rudders he had leftover from converting the RAF T7s into T8s, and resold them to the RAF as Grasshoppers using a new fuselage copied from the SG-38 – and modified a bit. Makes great business sense to sell the same parts twice to the same customer as different airframes… however, the wings were relatively heavy for a glider as they were designed for a heavier sailplane. Hence the high wing loading and poor handling at slower speeds. The rudder is also too small as it is designed for a vertical stabilizer which the T38 does not have. Rudder control is practically non-existing.

Ah yes, ‘bricking it’. Something that came to mind during my first aerotow on type! But you are correct; the EoN has delightfully coordinated controls. Perhaps Fred wanted commonality with the ‘barge’?  

The Primary is much more enjoyable than the Grasshopper when it comes to control coordination and wing loading. I own one of the latter, so I know… it’s a brick…

Thanks! 

I have some time on both the EoN Primary and Slingsby T38. I enjoyed both, but for me a tow around the peri-track behind a car beat the brutal coldness of a winch or an aero tow! 

http://historique.wassmer.free.fr/page-14.html
 

gives a lot of info, especially on the Wassmer-built Avia 152a’s.

the aircraft was not a copy of the Hols der Teufel, although many of the aircraft built at the type seem to borrow general principles off each other. Having flown several comparable gliders, including the Hols der Teufel, I can confirm there are significant handling differences between them even if they “look alike”. 

If you go to Espace Air Passion at Angers-Marcé, you can see one (F-AZVI – albeit a replica)!

Like many of the early gliders the Hans Jacobs design was built and adapted my many enthusiasts from plans he supplied. There appears to be many similarities between the type and the Avia 152A. 

Is ‘ericmunk’ able to give any details of the AVIA 152A? 

Yes, ericmunc, that IS a good hint. Googling for Avia 152A delivers good hits!! Thank you very much!

Also thanks to the other contributors.

Best regards,
RT

It says Avia 152A, not NA 159A. That’ll be a good hint of what type of glider it is.

For vintage sailplane and glider questions, nothing beats the Vintage Glider Club’s Facebook group.

It has some of the appearance of a Hans Jacobs Hol’s der Teufel glider.

Looks to be a early version of a Strudleheimer H2 but cannot say for sure.