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The 1-7, which first flew in 1937, was the first Schweizer design of which more than one ship was produced.
Schweizer SGS 2-8 (USAAC TG-2; USN LSN-1)
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The Schweizer ‘two-place’ was the first large scale production Schweizer design and the first dozen were built for private owners and clubs. The all metal glider has a strut braced wing with upper surface spoilers for glidepath control. A batch was built for the U.S. Army Air Corps for the intial instructor training class at Elmira and subsequently more were ordered as the TG-2. Production was limited by the availability of aluminum. The U.S. Navy and Marines ordered 2-8’s which were designated LNS-1. Pre World War II civilian gliders were impressed into the USAAC as the TG-2A. After the war. TG-2’s were much sought after as they were light, rugged and all metal, despite a low 116 kph/ 63 kt/ 72 mph redline. Even so, Bob Stanley and Ernie Schweizer made a goal flight from Elmira Washington, D.C. (373 km./ 232 miles) and Dick Johnson set a 499 km./ 310 mile multi-place distance record, both in 2-8’s. The ship is unusual in that it is mainly fastened with PK self-tapping sheet metal screws – there are very few rivets. The emptu weight of 204 kg./ 450 lb is the original published figure. 2-8’s which remain active have empty weights in the 236-263 kg./ 520- 580 lb range. An example of a LNS-1 belongs to the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Pensavola, FL. The Vintage Sailplane Association has copies of the military manuals, drawings of the color schemes and paint chips available. ATC
Schweizer SGS 2-12 (USAAC TG-3A)
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When aluminum became unavailable during World War II, Schweizer reworked the all-metal TG 2-8 (USAAC TG-2/ USN LNS-1) into a wooden sailplane. Besides being fabricated from wood, the wings were lowered from the 2-8’s shouler position to a mid/ low mounting to improve rear seat visibility. The wing was thickened to allow cantilever construction and greater strenght for high speed aerotowing. Also upper and lower surface spoilers were used and the design simplified to ease of construction. The 2-12 was rugged high altitude ship. Harland Ross set an altitude record at 11,003 m./ 36.100 feet in 1950, and Betsy Woodward held the feminine version of the same record. One belongs to the National Soaring Museum. The Vintage Sailplane Association has the military manuals, color scheme drawing and paint chips. ATC
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The 1-19 was produced as a low cost utility ship intended for the post war market, and first flew in 1944. The 1-19A was the kit version. Despite being small and light, rigging is complicated with many pins. Through it was produced with an open cockpit, many owners have added canopies. A fully restored 1-19 has been donated to the National Soaring Museum. ATC
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This ‘long wing’ version of the 1-19 first flew in 1946. Plans were offered for the new wings and canopy, and several 1-19’s in the U.S. were modified. The prototype was flown 222 km/ 138 miles by Paul A. Schweizer in 1947.
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Built in 1947, the 1-21 won the Nationals that year flown by Dick Comey, whose 483 km./ 300 miles flight was a National distance record at the time. There was no market at the 1947 price so a simpler model, the 1-23, was produced instead. Stan Smith flew a 1-21 in the 1952 World Championships at Madrid – Cuatro Vientos in Spain. The ship features triple spoilers (2 on top, 1 on bottom) and water ballast tank in the wing.
Specifications – 2-22E
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The 2-22 was introduced in 1945 and became (until superseded by the 2-23) the most used two-place trainer in America. It was derived from the SGU 1-7 and developed through A, B, C, D and E models. The original 2-22 had a 204 kg/ 450 lb. Empty weight and 377 kg./ 830 lb gross with no rear side windows and no doors. The A (3 built) was a redesign for the U.S. Air Force Academy with lengthened nose, full canopy and 409 kg/ 900 lb gross weight. The B is the original modified for 409 kg./ 900 lb gross weight. The C incorporated the A and B changes plus smaller ailerons; 103 built, including 28 kits (described as the 2-22CK). The D is the orinal model with small ailerons. The E was the last production model, with larger spoilers, roomier cockpit, new canopy with wing root changes to provide for a skylight. Specifications are for the 2-22E. ATC
Specifications – 1-23H-15
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The ‘standard’ 1-23 introduced in 1948, and with its later versions, the B, C, D, E,F,G,H was for years America’s most numerous performance sailplane. The 1-23B & C were built for the 1952 World Championships held at Madrid – Cuatro Vientos, Spain flown by Paul MacCready and Paul Schweizer. They both had the wing spars spliced and stretched to 15.24 m./ 50 ft., and the C had thicker wing skins, a heavier spar and weighed 41 kg./ 90 lb more. In 1953 the 1-23D (ATC) was introduced, a production version of the B. One flown by Paul MacCready won the 1953 Nationals, and another was flown 733 km./ 455.5 miles by Joe Lincoln to earn the Barringer Trophy for 1960. An example belongs to the National Soaring Museum. The single increased span (16.1 m./ 52.8 ft.) 1-23E was built for Paul MacCready to fly in the 1954 World Championships where it finished 4th. It has balanced air brakes and originally did not a wheel, using the skid for takeoff and landing. Paul Bikle won two world altitude records with the 1-23E (14.102 m./ 46.267 ft. absolute 12.894 m./ 42.303 ft. gain). One F was built, being an E with heavier butted skins on the wing. The 1-23G (ATC) was a 1954 production model with the longer wing of the E and F, standard spoilers and a larger vertical tail of slightly different shape. To the basic 1-23G model Schweizer added balanced airbrakes, removable wingtips and other minor modifications to produce the H model, of which 8 were built. The more numerous H-15 version has a wingspan reduced to 15.0 m./ 49.2 ft. qualifying it for the FAI-OSTIC Standard Class. It was also produced with removable tips increasing the span to 16.1 m./ 52.8 ft. 39 of this model were built. One, which also belongs to the National Soaring Museum, was substantially modified by Sterling Starr by the fitting of a new NACA 65 (3)-618 section 16.5 m./ 54 ft. wing.
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The 1-24 was a spare-time cooperative project between Schweizer and Burr when he worked for the company. It features a shoulder wing and an internal traveling balance weight for trimming hands-off at 80 kph/ 43 kt/ 50 mph through 129 kph/ 70 kt/ 80 mph
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Only one 2-25 was built and was flown in the 1954 World Championships at Champhill, England and 1956 World Championships at St. Yan, France in the multiplace category. Stan Smith and R.Kidder fininished 3rd in 1954, and Kempes Trager and Gene Miller were 4th in 1956. It has triple spoilers (2 on top, 1 on bottom of each wing). The sole example was donated to the soaring program at the U.S. Air Force Academy and later presented to the National Soaring Museum. It is presently on loan to the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson FB, Dayton, OH.
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All model of the 1-26 make it the most numerous sailplane type in the U.S. today. The 1-26 has, since its first flight in 1954, become the most popular one-design sailplane in the world. Nurtured by the 1-26 Association, an affiliate of the Soaring Society of America, the design provides a significant percentage of the soaring done in America. The 1-26 once held the National Feminine Distance and Goal records at 439.8 km./ 273.28 miles and 153.1 km./ 96.5 miles set by Rose Marie Licher and Jean Arnold, respectively. A significant number of pilots have earned all three Diamond badges in 1-26’s. The original (‘standard’) model was factory completed (22 built); the A was a standard kit (114built); the B was factory completed with all-metal covered wings increasing both empty and gross weight by 11 kg./ 25 lb. And the C was the kit version of the B. The 1-26D, introduced in 1968, offered a new low-profile fuselage featuring a monocoque metal nose and new one-piece canopy for better visibility, plus air-balanced double dive brakes, a new cockpit interior and an increased allowable load. A significant number of 1-26’s were sold outside the U.S. notably in Canada and Indonesia. The original Standard 1-26, serial 001, was donated to the National Soaring Museum. Specifications are for the 1-26A. ATC
Schweizer SGS 1-26E (USAF TG-3)
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The E model superseded the 1-26D in 1971, being the last refinement in the 1-26 series with an all metal monocoque fuselage which appreciably increased the empty weight. Despite this, Dick Johnson’s flight test show little difference between the earlier models and the E. The U.S. Air Force Academy operates 3 as the TG-3. ATC
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Only one 1-29 was built and has subsequently been presented to the National Soaring Museum. It consists of a modified 1-23G fuselage and tail with the addition of a constant chord, laminar-flow airfoil wing and balanced dive brakes. The wing ribs are indentical, made from one master die to help ensure laminar flow. It has flush, counter-sunk rivets, and the heavy, deep spar helps to reduce elastic wing deflections and minimize skin oil-canning.
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The 2-32 was once the world’s highest-performance production multi-seater and has been prolific record-setter. In the late 1960’s and through the 1970’s the design held many world and national records for speed over 100, 300 and 500 km courses, as well as a variety of distance, out-and-return and altitude records for both men and women. It gained the feminine multi-place world and national records for absolute altitude and altitude gain (10.809 m./ 35.463 ft. and 7.8481 m./ 24.545 ft.) st by Babbs Nutt at Black Forest, CO in 1975. It is widely used for the commercial ‘rider’ business with the facility of carrying two relative light and friendly passengers on the bench rear seat. The design features airbrakes and an all-moving horizontal tail with anti-balance tab. The first 2-32, serial 001, belongs to the National Soaring Museum. ATC
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The 2-33 was designed to succeed the 2-22 as something a little plusher and better performing, therby making it easier to attract new students into soaring. The prototype 2-33 first flew in 1965 and volume production began in 1967. For the best part of the following 20 years, 2-33’s were mainstays in U.S. glider pilot training. It has an all-metal wing structure and steel tube fuselage with moving tail surfaces covered in Ceconite fabric. The spoilers are aerodynamically balanced. The A model, introduced in 1968, has a larger rudder. Subsequent minor offered as an FAA-approved homebuilders kit. The U.S. Air Force Academy operates 13 as the TG-4A. ATC
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On handling suitable for the low time pilot. It featured full terminal-velocity speed-limiting dive brakes, in-flight adjustable rudder pedals and a two-way adjustable seat. Originally offered only with a fixed gear, a retractable version was added. The prototype first flew in 1969. At least one example has been substantially modified – a storm damaged 1-34 was rebuilt by Bob Park with a V-tail and provision for 105 kg./ 230 lb. Water ballast in the wings. ATC.
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The 1-35 was designed to 15 m. racing class rules; however it was not fully competitive with its glass fiber contemporaries. The 1-35 was produced in successive, slightly differing, models. The retractable gear versions carry up to 145 kg./ 320 lb. Of water ballast while the 1-35C had a fixed gear and no provision for ballast. All use flaps for performance and approach control with –8 to +32 degrees for the former, and up to 82 degrees for the latter. Specifications are for the 1-35C. The first 1-35 serial 001, belongs to the National Soaring Museum. ATC.
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The 1-36 Sprite, the final glider model produced by the Schweizer Aircraft Corporation, was conceived as a replacement for the 1-26 one class design. It was produced both in a version with main wheel ahead of the center of gravity, and one with a nose skid and main wheel behing the center of gravity. It has balanced top and bottom surface DFS type airbrakes with the upper surface segment set well back forwards the trailing edge of the wing. ATC.
Schweizer SGM 2-37 (USAF TG-7A)
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The SGM 2-37 self-launching motorglider, which first flew in 1982, has the capacity to operate as a towplane for other gliders. 9 (known as the TG-7A) are operated as trainers at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The aircraft is without flaps but has balanced upper/lower surface dive brakes. ATC
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