Glaser-Dirks DG-500 explained

The Glaser-Dirks DG-500, and later the DG-505, is a two-seat glider of glass-reinforced plastic and carbon fiber reinforced plastic construction, manufactured in the DG Flugzeugbau GmbH in Bruchsal, Germany. It first flew in 1987.

Design

The glider is a trainer with an 18-metre wingspan or a high-performance glider with 20 or 22 m span. There are also trailing edge flaps with the exception of the Trainer and Orion variants. The 20m version also has winglets. The fuselage has a single wheel main landing gear which retracts into the lower fuselage.

The DG-500/18 is mainly intended for flight training, and is fully aerobatic with +7/-5 g rating. There is also a motorglider version, the DG-500M.[1] The DG-500/22 can carry up to 160 kg of water ballast which is not possible on the trainer version. Since 2004, the latest version of the DG-500 has been built as the "DG-505 Orion" in Slovenia.

Past altitude record

The DG-500 once held the all-time altitude record for manned gliders, at 15,460 m (50,720 ft), set on 29 August 2006 by Steve Fossett and Einar Enevoldson, breaking the previous record by 1,713 ft (522 m).[2] It was a standard DG-500M but the engine had been removed and replaced with liquid oxygen tanks. Additional instruments were installed powered by non-rechargeable batteries. The canopy had double-wall glazing and there was a drogue parachute for an emergency descent from high altitude. Pressure suits were worn.[3] The glider is on display at the Seattle Museum of Flight.[4] A new altitude record of 52,172 ft (15,902 m)[5] was set by the Windward Performance Perlan II on September 3, 2017.

Variants

DG-500
  • Initial production with 18m (59feet) span wings.
    DG-500/18
  • Aerobatic version
    DG-500/22
  • high performance sailplane with 22m (72feet) span wings
    DG-500M
  • Motorglider version of the DG-500, powered by a retractable pylon mounted 44.7kW Rotax 535C engine
    DG-500T Elan Trainer
  • 18m (59feet) span wings, fixed undercarriage, no flaps, full controls in both cockpits.[6]
    DG-505
  • improved DG-500
    DG-505 Orion
  • Production version built in Slovenia
    DG-505MB
  • Motorglider version of the DG-505 with a retractable Solo 2625-02 47kW engine

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. First flight of the DG-500M was in March 1987.
    2. Web site: Fai Record File . 2015-01-27 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150413093412/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=14043 . 2015-04-13 .
    3. Web site: Perlan Project web site . 2 February 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120504210744/http://perlanproject.org/the-aircraft/perlan-1/ . 4 May 2012 .
    4. Web site: DG Flugzeugbau GmbH Perlan Glider. 15 November 2013.
    5. Web site: Airbus Perlan Mission II - World Record Claim Sept 3, 2017 | Perlan Project .
    6. Book: Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988-89 . 1988 . Jane's Information Group . London . 0-7106-0867-5 . John W.R. Taylor. 620–621.

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