M.Simons The World's Vintage Sailplanes 1908-45

THE ANFAENGER (HOLS DER TEUFEL)


  The first Hols der Teufel appeared in 1923 as a training glider, designed by Alexander Lippisch. It was a forerunner of the Zoegling primary trainer. “Hols der Teufel” is a German slang expression meaning, roughly, “Devil take it”. The original was built in the Weltensegler workshops. Two Swedish student pilots who were eking out their money by working for the company, became noted for their use of the mild curse, in their own language, Djaevlar Anamma, whilst building the aircraft, and when it flew the phrase was almost automatically attached to it. The German translation was Hols der Teufel. The 1923 version had a rectangular wing planform with square tips, of 10.5 metres span. The Zoegling, later, had almost the same wing. The fuselage was an open framework but the pilot was enclosed by a light, fabric-covered nacelle. In front of his head was a strut which ran from the extreme nose up to the kingpost above the wing. This was the origin of the so-called 'skullsplitter’ ( Schadelspalter) which appeared on Edmund Schneider's primary gliders but was not retained on the Zoegling by Lippisch. The tailplane of the Hols der Teufel was large, giving it plenty of stability in pitch. The skid for landing was unsprung. The wing and tail were wire braced. Alexander Schleicher, now beginning to establish his factory at Poppenhausen, flew his own Djaevlar Anamma at the competitions in 1927.
  In 1928 Hans Jacobs, working under Lippisch at the Wasserkuppe design office of the RRG, published a small book explaining how to build and repair gliders. In a folder in the back of this small volume was a set of plans, on three sheets, for a glider, the Anfaenger (Beginner), which resembled the old Hols der Teufel type. It was a completely new design. The wing was of 12.5 metres span with rounded tips, the rear fuselage an open 'gate' frame but the nacelle had no 'skullsplitter’ strut and was partly plywood covered. The wings, instead of being wire braced, were supported by two parallel struts on each side. The Jacobs design was particularly suitable for first attempts at soaring in light winds over slopes. At about the same time, other types of similar general layout and with similar purpose, appeared, the Hangwind for example, and in Poland, Czerwinski's CJT-2.
  Jacobs’ book sold quite well and a good many clubs in Germany and other countries set about building to his plans. Schleichers also built some for sale, reverting to the name, Hols der Teufel, and some of these were exported complete or in kit form, to England. Others went to various countries in Europe.

  Technical data:
   Lippisch Hols der Teufel: Span, 10.50 m. Wing area, 16.8 sq m. Aspect ratio 6.56.
   Schleicher/Jacobs Hols der Teufel: Span, 12.568 m. Wing area, 19.52 sq m. Aspect ratio 8.1.