M.Hardy. Gliders & Sailplanes of the world

Rolladen-Schneider LS1

  The LS1 high performance Standard Class single-seater is one of the most advanced German sailplanes, and was designed by Dipl-Ing Wolf Lemke and produced by Walter Schneider, at first under the name Segelflugzeugbau Schneider OHG, but now as Rolladen-Schneider Flugzeugbau GmbH. Two prototypes of the LS1 competed in the German National Championships of 1968, taking first and second places out of 44 competitors, and the prototypes were fitted with a novel form of air brake consisting of a portion of the trailing edge hinging upwards inboard of the ailerons, and hinged close to its mid-chord line so that the air brake's leading edge moved down while its trailing edge moved upwards. These brakes were found to be effective only at certain speeds, however, and so production LS1s featured conventional Schempp-Hirth air brakes. 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 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 LS1-f has a redesigned rudder and reverts to a fixed tailplane and elevator; there is provision for up to 198lb of water ballast and the monowheel is now retractable instead of fixed as on earlier versions, and has rubber shock absorbers. Some improvements have been made to the cockpit interior and 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-fs had been built, and a club version of the LS1-f, designated LS1-c Club, has been announced.


Data: LS1-f
Span:49 ft 2 1/2 in
Length: 21 ft 11 3/4 in
Height: 3 ft 11 1/2 in
Wing area: 105 sq ft
Aspect ratio: 23.0
Empty weight: 507 lb
Max weight: 860 lb
Max speed: 155 mph (in smooth air)
Min sinking speed: 2.1 ft/sec at 43.5 mph
Best glide ratio: 38:1 at 56 mph



Rolladen-Schneider LS3

  Developed from the LS1-f via the LS2, which never went into production even though in prototype form, flown by Helmut Reichmann, it won the Standard Class section of the 1974 World Championships in Australia, the LS3's design and construction began in 1975. The prototype first flew on 4 February 1976 at Egelsbach in Germany, and more than 200 LS3s had been ordered by mid-January 1978; by the beginning of 1980 a total of 358 of all versions had been built. The LS3-a, which first flew in prototype form in the spring of 1978, differs from the LS3 chiefly in having horizontal and vertical tail surfaces of greater area and different aerofoil sections, and the empty weight reduced to 551 Ib; the maximum weight and performance remain the same. A 17m span version, designated LSS-a-17, is being developed with detachable wing tips which can be removed to restore the span to 15m, the LS3 itself conforming to the Standard Class 15m span. Like the LS1-f, the LS3 is a cantilever mid-wing monoplane with a T-tail; the wings are of glassfibre/foam sandwich construction as are the one-piece 'flaperons', or combined ailerons and flaps, which form the entire trailing edge; from 1979 the 'flaperons' have been replaced by conventional flaps and ailerons. There are air brakes in the upper wing surfaces and there is provision for up to 309lb of water ballast. The semi-monocoque fuselage, very similar to the LS1-f's, has a hinged one-piece flush-fitting canopy under which the pilot sits in a semi-reclining position. There is a retractable rubber-sprung monowheel with a drum-brake, and a tailskid. The fin and rudder, and the tailplane and elevators mounted on top of them, are all of glassfibre/foam construction. There is a mechanism to prevent the air brakes from opening at an incorrect flap setting, and the one-piece 'flaperons' enabled shorter, steeper landing approaches to be made than with conventional ailerons drooping in conjunction with the flaps.


Data: LS3
Span: 49 ft 2 1/2 in
Length: 22 ft 3 3/4 in
Height: 3 ft 11 1/4 in
Wing area: 109.8 sqft
Aspect ratio: 22.0
Empty weight: 617 lb
Max weight: 1,040 lb
Max speed: 168 mph (in smooth air)
Max aero-tow speed: 118 mph
Min sinking speed: 1.97 ft/sec at 43.5 mph
Best glide ratio: 40:1 at 68.5 mph



Rolladen-Schneider LS4

  Design work on this Standard Class sailplane began in the winter of 1978 and the prototype, registered D-6680, first flew on 28 March 1980. Production began in the autumn of that year and by the spring of 1981 50 LS4s had been built out of 160 on order. The type took the first seven places in the Standard Class at the 1981 World (Sliding Championships at Paderborn, West Germany. The LS4 has a modified LS3-a fuselage married to a new thin-section wing mounted in the mid position, and with a double taper planform. It has air brakes in the upper surfaces, but flaps are not fitted. The cantilever T-tail has separate elevators rather than an all-moving tailplane,and the retractable monowheel has rubber suspension and a cable-operated brake. There is a rubber bumper-type tailskid with a semi-recessed tailwheel offered as an alternative. The pilot sits under a canopy that hinges upward and forward to open, and up to 140 litres of water ballast can be carried. The same glassfibre/foam sandwich construction as the LS3's is employed.


Span: 49 ft 2 1/2 in
Length: 22 ft 1 in
Empty weight: 517 lb
Max gross weight: 1,004 lb
Best glide ratio: 40.5:1 at 62 mph
Min sinking speed: 1,9 ft/sec at 51.5 mph