Model of the month March 2018 DFS Kranich II
03/18 DFS Kranich II Two Seater Glider
The Kranich two seater training glider was the first plane produced in a large- scale production in Germany and it spread out over the world very soon. It competed against the prevalent Schneider Grunau 9, the Schneider SG 38 and other single seater trainers. In the years to come the two seaters prevailed.
The Kranich was designed by the famous Hans Jacobs, whose mentor was Lippisch, a member of the Rhön-Rositten Society. This society flourished in the twenties, but did not suit the upcoming Nazi regime and was liquidated. Out of the ruins of this society Prof. Georgii set up the DFS Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (German Research Institute for Gliding Flight). Later it took shelter in the Reichsluftfahrt Ministerium (Department of Aviation).
In 1935 the Kranich was placed on the market. Nearly nothing is known of this Type I. The plane was built by Co. Schweyer in Mannheim with an open or a closed plexiglass hood. After the war, when glider flying was allowed in Western Germany in 1951, Jacobs designed the Kranich II. This plane was built by a revived company – Focke-Wulf. As a matter of fact, this was a completely new plane, but it carried on the famous name.
These airplanes were delivered to glider flying schools of the Reich for the pre-military training in the DLV, the Deutscher Luftsport Verband (German Aero Confederation), later renamed NSFK, Nationalsozialisters Fliegerkorps (National Socialist Flying Corps) and the Flieger-HJ (Hitler-Jugend). The Luftwaffe also took some of these planes for training.
With a glide ratio of 23 and a sink rate of 0.7m/s at that time the Kranich was a high performance glider and records were established with this plane. But with a take-off weight of 450 kg it was a heavy bird and ground crews worked up some sweat to get it into the air.
In October 1940 Erich Klöckner, after lengthy airplane towing and by wave soaring, succeded in climbing into the stratosphere to a height of 11,400 m.The FAI recognizedthis record after the war. It was not before 1950 that this record was surpassed in the States.
Nobody knows how many Kranich planes were built, but some suvived the war. A few were
hidden in good time emerged when glider flying was permitted again. During the war this plane was built under license in Sweden and after the war by SZD in Poland and MARZ in the CSSR.
In the fifties the Kranich was surpassed by lighter and more efficient two seaters like Scheibe Bergfalke Iior Schleicher Ka 2 and Ka 7. The two seater training had
won, and these famous planes marked the beginning. Even today you can encounter some of these planes in Germany and abroad and they are the center of attraction at vintge meetings.
Technical data
Length 7.75 m; wing-span 18,00 m; wing area 22.70m2; empty mass 175 kg; max. take off weight 450 – 465 kg; v/max 175km/; v/tow and winch 100 km/; glide ratio 23.6; sink rate 0.7 m/s