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| Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co | |
|---|---|
| Name | Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co |
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1927 |
| Founder | Alexander Schleicher |
| Headquarters | Poppenhausen, Hesse, Germany |
| Products | Sailplanes, Gliders, Motor gliders |
Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co is a German sailplane manufacturer founded in 1927 by Alexander Schleicher in Poppenhausen, Hesse. The company is one of the oldest continuous producers of gliders and motor gliders, known for contributions to competitive Fédération Aéronautique Internationale events, collaborations with designers from the Akaflieg Darmstadt, and supply relationships with flight schools and private owners across Europe and North America. Over decades the firm has produced models that participated in World Gliding Championships, influenced standards at the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and were operated by clubs such as the Royal Aero Club and institutions including the Bundeswehr training units.
The founding by Alexander Schleicher followed involvement with the Rhön-Rossitten Gesellschaft and the early gliding movement centered at the Wasserkuppe. During the interwar years the company supplied wood-and-fabric sailplanes to clubs affiliated with the Deutscher Aero Club, while engineers and pilots from the firm took part in competitions like the Internationale Segelflugwettbewerb. Post-World War II reconstruction saw the firm re-establish production under West German industrial law and engage with organizations such as the Deutscher Aero-Club e.V. and regulatory bodies like the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt. In the jet age the company adopted composite materials influenced by developments at institutes including the German Aerospace Center and collaborated with designers tied to Akaflieg Stuttgart and Akaflieg München. The company’s aircraft have been used by clubs competing in the World Gliding Championships and by private pilots flying cross-country routes across the Alps and Iberian Peninsula.
The product range comprises standard and high-performance sailplanes, two-seat trainers, and self-launching motor gliders used by clubs such as the Luftsportverband and individual pilots participating in Cross-Country Soaring events. Commercial offerings include factory-new gliders supplied to organizations like the Gliding Federation of Australia and aftermarket support for legacy models owned by museums such as the Deutsches Museum. Customers include flight schools affiliated with the British Gliding Association and private owners in markets served by entities like the Federal Aviation Administration-regulated maintenance providers. The company also produces components and retrofit kits for models that fly in competitions governed by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
Design philosophy integrates lessons from collaborations with aerodynamicists linked to the University of Stuttgart (Stuttgart Aerospace), structural research at the German Aerospace Center, and test pilots who competed in the Rhön Gliding Competition. Early wooden designs shifted to glass-fiber and carbon-fiber composite construction following innovations at institutes such as the Technical University of Berlin and materials suppliers associated with Fraunhofer Society research. The engineering team has historically worked with external consultants from the Akaflieg Braunschweig and aerodynamicists known from NASA-affiliated research exchanges, optimizing laminar flow, wing planform, and control harmonization suitable for competitions like the Grand Prix Gliding series.
Manufacturing is centered in Poppenhausen with facilities that house molds, curing ovens, and assembly bays comparable in capability to regional aerospace workshops cooperating with the European Astronautics industry. The factory layout supports composite layup, bonding, and final assembly, and maintenance, repair and overhaul functions used by clubs registered with national aeroclubs such as the Royal Aero Club and the Deutscher Aero Club. Historic expansion phases corresponded with procurement cycles influenced by events like the World Gliding Championships and regional demand from markets in Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The site also hosts customer handover events attended by representatives from national federations such as the Austrian Aero Club.
The company operates in global markets where sailplane activity is organized by national bodies like the British Gliding Association, Soaring Society of America, and the Confédération Européenne de Vol à Voile. Sales, distribution, and after-sales support involve networks of dealers and maintenance organizations certified under rules promulgated by agencies such as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt. Competitive positioning leverages a legacy tied to the early gliding movement at the Wasserkuppe and success in competitions including the World Gliding Championships, while export relationships extend to customers in New Zealand and Chile.
Certification activities follow standards set by authorities like the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and national regulators such as the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt, with structural testing and flight test programs conducted in accordance with protocols developed in collaboration with research centers such as the German Aerospace Center and test pilots experienced in World Gliding Championships operations. The company maintains continuing airworthiness support aligned with maintenance practices endorsed by organizations like the Soaring Society of America and inspection regimes applied by aeroclubs including the British Gliding Association. Safety culture emphasizes compliance with airworthiness directives originating from agencies like the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and recognized procedures for glider operation promulgated by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
Notable single- and two-seat types include models that competed in classes at the World Gliding Championships and have been prominent in club fleets run by the Deutscher Aero Club and the British Gliding Association. Signature models have incorporated design inputs from academics and practitioners connected to the Akaflieg Darmstadt, Akaflieg Stuttgart, and the German Aerospace Center, and have been exhibited at airshows alongside aircraft from manufacturers such as Rolladen-Schneider and Schempp-Hirth. Several models remain in operation in museums including the Deutsches Museum and in active service with clubs at sites like the Wasserkuppe.
Category:Aircraft manufacturers of Germany Category:Glider manufacturers