GGC - Rolladen Schneider LS1

Rolladen Schneider LS1

Description | Performance Data | Diagram | VH-CTG

DEVELOPMENT and DESCRIPTION

LS 1f A significant German sailplane design of the late 1960s was the LS1 series by Dipl.Ing. Wolf Lemke and built by Walter Schneider, at first under the name Segelflugzeugbau Schneider OHG, but now as Rolladen-Schneider Flugzeugbau GmbH. Two prototypes flew in the German Championships of 1968 and took the first two places out of forty-four competitors, thus becoming the top German Standard Class sailplane of that time.

Characterised by a cantilever mid wing and a T-tail, the LS1 is of glassfibre and PVC foam construction, with the pilot seated in a semi-reclining position under a large one-piece flush-fitting canopy. The 15 metre wings of the prototype were fitted with unusual airbrakes, consisting of an upward-hinging portion of the trailing edge inboard of the ailerons. This was hinged close to its mid-chord line so that the leading edge of the airbrake moved down while the trailing edge moved upwards. It was found, however, that they were only effective at certain speeds, so production models incorporated conventional Schempp-Hirth airbrakes.

The LS1 was produced in several versions: the LS1-c featured an all-moving tailplane instead of the tailplane and elevators of earlier versions, and the LS1-d introduced provision for water ballast, over 200 of these two versions being built. The LS 1-f has a redesigned rudder (of equal area to earlier versions) and a fixed tailplane with elevator. There is provision for up to 198 lb of water ballast and the fixed undercarriage has given way to retractable landing gear. Other improvements include rubber shock absorbers for the landing wheel and modifications to the cockpit interior. The tow release mounted on the landing gear strut has been modified; this can also be fitted in the nose, as required.

The LS1-f first flew in 1972 and made its competition debut in that year's World Championships at Vrsac, Yugoslavia; an LS1 flown by Helmut Reichmann of Germany had taken first place in the Standard Class at the 1970 World Championships at Marfa, Texas. The LS1-f went on to take 8th, 10th and 14th places at the 1976 World Championships at Rayskala in Finland. By January 1977 a total of 240 LS1-f's had been built, and a club version of the LS1-f, designated LS1-c Club, has been announced.

PERFORMANCE DATA

Span	15.0	m
Length	6.7	m
Height	1.2	m
Wing Area	9.75	m²
Wing Section	Wortmann FX66-S-196 mod
Aspect Ratio	23.0
Empty Glider Mass	200	kg
All-Up Mass	390	kg
Water Ballast	90	kg
Maximum L/D	38
Stalling Speed	33.5	kt
Minimum Sinking Speed	0.65	m/s
Max. Rough Air Speed	135	kt
Never Exceed Speed	135	kt

GGC's – VH-CTG

Privately owned by a member of the German national team, this recently arrived glider has been imported from Germany. It is one of the earlier LS1-c models.

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